Mass Effect: Creed
by Sutori-Artifex
Summary: 173 years have passed since Desmond Miles gave his life for the survival of Humanity. Since then he has become a martyr for the Brotherhood, who gave their all and, when Humanity reaches for the stars, they take their place behind the scenes of Galactic History. Join one group of Assassins as they fight alongside the crew of the Normandy for a mission with impossible odds...
1. Prologue

**2183,**  
The SSV Normandy flies in over the Planet Alchera…  
"Disengaging FTL Drives… Emission Sinks active… Board is green, we are running silent!" calls a familiar voice of the Pilot of the Ship, Jeff "Joker" Moreau. A bald Man in a blue uniform, Navigator Pressly, carries a Datapad and expresses his doubts in the Mission. Commander John and Jane Shepard, fraternal twin Brother and Sister, heroes of the Citadel, were sent to find Geth forces in the Terminus Systems.

"We're wasting our time. Four days searching up and down this sector and we haven't found ANY sign of Geth activity!" Pressly says.

"Three ships went missing here in the past month. SOMETHING happened to them." Joker responds.

Pressly speaks up again. "My money is on Slavers! The Terminus Systems are crawling with them." He says.

An Ensign detects something rather suspicious. "Picking up something on the Long Rang Scanner, unidentified vessel… Looks like a Cruiser!" she says as the machine starts beeping.

"Doesn't match any known signatures." Joker says curiously.

"Cruiser is changing course… Now on intercept trajectory…" The Ensign notes.

"Can't be, stealth systems are engaged. There's no way a Geth Ship could…" Pressly attempted to say.

Joker cut him off however, "It's not the GETH." He says fearfully. "Brace for evasive maneuvers!" he shouts. The Cruiser fires a large yellow laser that just barely misses The Normandy. However, it continues firing, and The Normandy accidentally flies into it, clipping one of the wings in the process.

A console explodes in Pressly's face, killing him instantly. "Pressly!" The Ensign shouts, suffering the same fate. Several explosions claim other crew members.

"Kinetic Barrier's out, multiple Hull breaches, weapons offline…" Joker yells. "SOMEBODY GET THAT FIRE OUT!" He adds, pointing to a fire in The Bridge.

Another laser blast and The Normandy is doomed as a gaping hole is torn into the Hull.  
An Asari, Liara T'Soni, runs through the wreckage of The Normandy, up to a Man in Black N7 Armor. "Shepard!" she cries out.

"Distress Beacon is ready for launch." He says calmly.

"Will the Alliance get here in time!?" Liara asks worriedly.

"The Alliance won't abandon us. We just need to hold on. Get everyone to the escape shuttles." John Shepard orders.

"Joker's still in the Cockpit. He won't evacuate!" Liara says. "I'm not leaving either." She says coolly.

"I need you to get the crew onto the evac shuttles. I'll take care of Joker. An explosion separates the two for a second.

"Shepard…" Liara murmurs.

"Liara, go now." Shepard orders again, looking back at her.

"Aye, Aye." She says, running off.

Escape Pods start firing off one by one as the Ship floats near Alchera, destined to crash. Liara, Garrus Vakarian, Kaidan Alenko, Ashley Williams, Tali'Zorah, Dr. Karin Chakwas, Engineer Adams, and Jane Shepard were all Present and Accounted for.

A long walk to The Cockpit…

"Come on Joker, we have to get out of here!" John Shepard shouts.

"No! I won't abandon The Normandy, I can still save her!" Joker yells back.

"The Normandy's lost; going down with the Ship won't change that." Shepard replies somberly.

"Yeah Ok, help me up." Joker says. "They're coming around for another attack!" he warns. The Cockpit is literally severed from the rest of the ship by The Cruiser laser. Luckily, there is an escape pod that Shepard and Joker can use. As Joker is put inside… the laser strikes again!

Shepard is sent flying back, away from the pod. "Commander…SHEPARD!" Joker roars as an explosion knocks John out into Space. His armor was compromised, and one could see the oxygen leaving his tank. He struggled for a few brief moments and went limp, falling to Alchera. His body burned as he "reentered".

* * *

The escape pods regrouped and after what felt like hours, were found by an Alliance Ship. The crewmembers were rescued. The Team reunited and Joker made his way over in a wheelchair. "J-John… He was with you… right?" Jane Shepard asked, suppressing her sobbing. Joker looked at her, lip trembling. He bowed his head and shook it slowly. He couldn't open his mouth tell Jane that her twin brother was dead. When she saw this, Jane's heart shattered… her only brother was gone. A single tear fell down her face as she turned to Kaidan. He looked at her with pure affection and sympathy and held out his arms. She hugged him and cried on his shoulder. Soldiers don't cry… but she wasn't a Soldier, now was she? She was a Sentinel, and this had been a dark day for everyone.

* * *

**One Year Later,**   
The Crew of the Normandy had disbanded. The Alliance threw a fit at the notion of losing the Normandy AND John Shepard. All surviving members went their separate ways. Ashley and Kaiden remained fiercely loyal, saying they could honor John by continuing to fight in his name. Kaiden... began distancing himself from Jane, consumed by his work. They all just drifted apart.

Jane Shepard walked alone on the Presidium of the Citadel. Her attention was caught by a, frankly beautiful, Turian woman in white and red sitting at the Apollo's Café. Seeming to have noticed, and recognized, Jane Shepard, the Turian woman waved subtly to her. Jane Shepard went over and acknowledged the Turian's presence. "Are you Jane Shepard? *The* Jane Shepard?" she asked. Jane nodded and had a seat. "I heard about John. I'm deeply sorry for your loss." The Turian woman murmured. Jane seemed to find that memory painful, wincing and putting a hand to her eyes, so The Turian stopped for a moment, looking at Jane compassionately. She knew what it was like to lose someone you loved. Her Father was kidnapped years ago, probably a hate crime for The First-Contact War. He was found dead a year later.

"My name is Kairee Antar." She said warmly, still retaining that look of sympathy. She held her three-fingered hand out for Jane, and she shook it.

"What is it that you want?" Jane asked.

"I know a lot about you. You killed people who did bad things, and you were against Cerberus." Kairee said.

Jane was suddenly interested. "Is this some kind of Mercenary gig?" Jane asked, crossing her arms.

"No! No… You see, we've taken an Interest in your abilities, and we'd be honored if you lent your skills to us." Kairee said with an air of mystery.

Jane raised an eyebrow curiously. "Who is 'We'?" she asked. Kairee chuckled and looked around carefully.

"You humans… You humans had a... Brotherhood, if you would. They were the Guardians of Free Will, and were dedicated to combating another organization who wished to destroy Free Will, and so control the populace. We took up arms against one another, and that war has lasted since, practically the dawn of Human Civilization. The 'Assassins' and 'Templars' brought their philosophies to my people during what you called 'The First-Contact War'. Some accepted The Assassins, some The Templars. Eventually it got to the other Citadel Races." Kairee explained. Shepard snickered.

"This sounds like something out of a legend, or a Fairy-Tale. How do I know you aren't on Red Sand? And why should I be interested?" Jane asked doubtfully.

Kairee smiled. "Had a feeling you'd say something along those lines…" she said, looking at the back of her hand. "*You* are interested because 'Cerberus' is the face of The Human Templars. Think about it. They will do whatever it takes to 'protect' humanity, even if it means killing innocents, and manipulating their followers. They will use other species to gain an advantage and then throw them away. The Assassins have never done this intentionally, those that have are rogues. We are sworn not to kill innocent people, and we seek to open the minds of men and women, which, of course, would require respect for all races." Kairee says. "Also, some of our Assassins 'borrowed' some information regarding what could have killed your dear Brother…" Kairee said, rubbing her nails on her clothing with a smirk. Check and mate.

Jane looked at Kairee like she was insane, but thought about that last part. "There was an inconsistency in your story, by the way." Shepard said dryly.

"About how other species joined with The Templars when Cerberus is their face? I'm aware." Kairee said, much to Shepard's shock. "They sign up with the chumps because they are lured in with promises of power, riches, you know, the works… We've been tracking a Krogan… Clan Jurdon… 'Garz' was it? He and his brother Skarn have been working with The Templars, though Garz just wants retribution against The Turians and Salarians." Kairee says. "I shall explain it all later. I need to know if you are in or not."

Jane sat in thought for a moment. "Alright, I'm in. So I am an Assassin?" Jane said with a chuckle. Kairee smiled as a Human male approached.

"Kairee, who is she?" he asked. "She's Commander Jane Shepard, and I just recruited her." Kairee said proudly.

The Human stopped for a moment. Wait, Commander Jane Shepard? "My name is Alexander Clarke, pleasure to meet you." The Human said with a respectful bow, still processing the revelation that he was speaking to a Hero of the Citadel. He sat next to Kairee.

Kairee cleared her throat. "Ah, so The Templars and Interspecies?" she suggested. Alexander shrugged and sat up properly to explain. "So, you must be pretty confused." Alex guessed. Jane nodded and listened patiently.  
"The Order of The Knights Templar was primarily human before and during the First Contact war. After peace was made, some Turians started stealing some of their ideas, and formed their own little 'Templar' organization. We Assassins remained as one, and recognized both The Human Templars and the Fanboy Faction as hostile to our Brotherhood. Both believed in Order by destruction of Free Will and Control. When Other Races discovered the Philosophy of The Templars, they each formed their own 'Templar Clans' when they found that they could not join: Racial Barrier. Eventually there was Templar Clans EVERYWHERE. The Cerberus "Clan" is the human division and de facto leader of all Templars everywhere. To prevent war in between the Clans, a 'Council' was made to keep other clans in line, to resolve conflicts, and to deal with demands and goals separately. According to some idiot who decided to write a Journal on a Datapad… easily stolen…*ahem*." Alex explained, clearing his throat at the ending, "They plan on using perpetual conflict between species as an illusion to create a sense of Nationalism and blind faith, thus controlling The Population and achieving perfect order. Essentially, WAR *will* be PEACE." Alexander finished, leaning back. "Honestly, it's really just some George Orwell Sci-Fi that they pulled out of their ***..."

Jane looked at the two, but that feeling of insanity was gone. It strangely made Sense… So Garz and Skarn want retribution against the Turians and Salarians. They will get that retribution and it will be perpetual. It will give them power, which they desire, and The Krogan will become Nationalistic and Xenophobic (more so than they were now), keeping the Templar Clans Separate yet united. A New World Order will be achieved behind the scenes… It was a crazy plan, but it may work if they weren't stopped. Jane nodded and smiled. "When do I begin?"

* * *

Citadel Assassin Bureau, 2184  
Kairee, Alexander, and Jane continued to chat, getting to know more about each other. Eventually, Alexander stood up and motioned for the two ladies to follow. "Where are we going?" Jane asked quizzically. Alexander walked into an Alley and looked up at a Vent. It was at far too high to jump for. Jane eyed the vent and crossed her arms skeptically. "I couldn't reach that if I dropped a Grenade at my feet." She said sarcastically. Kairee smirked and dashed for the right wall. She walked up said wall with such grace that Jane was unable to speak. Kairee leapt off the wall and landed on the other wall. She clutched the ledge of a Window and climbed up using the window itself for support. She grasped the vent and removed it, still holding onto the window. She threw it down to the ground and crawled into the large Vent. She turned around and held her arms out of the Ducts. Alexander knelt before Jane and cupped his hands. "I'll give you a boost." He said flatly, as if that sentence was completely normal. Jane didn't want to argue, having seen what Kairee could do. She put her foot in Alex's hands and suddenly she was tossed up. She caught Kairee's hands and held on tight. Kairee pulled her into the ducts as Alex climbed up in a similar fashion as Kairee. When all three were in the Ducts, Alex crawled in front of the trio, with Jane in the middle and Kairee in back. "We are going to the CAB." Alexander muttered as he made a right turn. "Might be a bad time to ask, but, CAB?" Jane asked as she followed after Alex. "Citadel Assassin Bureau…" Kairee answered, coughing as some dust flew in front of her face.

The Assassin Trio kept crawling through the Ducts, occasionally getting lost. Eventually they came across a strange panel in the wall with a strange Symbol in it. It looked like a Lambda with a bunch of decoration around it, like wings, star patterns, the like. Alexander did something surprising. He flicked his wrist and a small blade popped out of his sleeve! He inserted the blade into a small slit in the panel and twisted his arm. Some clicking and machinery was heard as the panel slid to the side and revealed a small room with a door. The Same Symbol was engraved in the metal, with characters in Arabic surrounding it. Alex jumped down and helped Jane get out of the Ducts Safely. Kairee jumped down on a box and sat. Alexander walked to The Holographic interface in front of the door and typed something in on his Omnitool. What was odd is that his Omnitool was slightly redder than other Omnitools, as they were orange. The Door split and opened as Alex stepped inside. There were stairs descending "underground".

A Wooden door was at the bottom of the staircase. After unlocking it with the hidden blade, Alex showed Jane the HQ.

The large room that was beyond the door was a sight to behold. A large reflecting pool was in the very center, with a little grassy "island" in the center of that. In the center of THAT was an Asari dressed in White and Red robes of human design. Waterfalls were "built" around the edges of the ceiling, a circle carved into it for the waterfalls. The Asari looked so young, so peaceful… There was a bar on the far left side of the Grand Room where a Krogan in white armor was swapping stories with a Salarian in a red hoodless robe. Both men had the same Lambda symbol on their gear. Jane raised an eyebrow at this sight. They didn't seem drunk, and they both seemed to get along great. "It took a while, but those two became fast friends. You hardly see them separated from each other." Kairee whispered, walking by. The far Right of the room had several Tables with Assassins chatting casually. Jane assumed that was the little cafeteria, as a young Asian-Human Male was walking away from a food bar with a tray, no, a PLATE with delicious looking food on it. A spiral staircase across the room led upwards. Possibly the dormitories… but that would mean quality beds… Jane thought she had somehow died on the way here and had gone to heaven. "Welcome to the Bureau." Alex said, giving a Roman salute to a Quarian in a White-Red envirosuit as he passed by. Jane dropped her jaw with a hint of smile. Alex patted her shoulder. "We try to make our brothers and sisters comfortable. We are all equals, and that equality should mean we are all happy. The Meditation Bar is for any Assassin, and the Waterfalls add an ambience to aid focus. The Actual Bar is for anyone needing a good drink after an assignment and a conversation. We have a fully staffed and stocked cafeteria. The food is quite good though I wouldn't say it is restaurant quality." Alexander explains. "Upstairs is where all of our Quarters are. They aren't cramped with 100 sleep pods dotting the walls or anything. Actual bedrooms… small apartment size however, don't get your hopes up." Kairee adds. Alexander points slightly downwards. "DOWNSTAIRS we have a few briefing rooms, The Armory, and 'The Playground'." He says, moving his hands around for emphasis on something. "That's where we go to practice our skills with different weapons, with plenty of holograms to shoot, walls to climb, and simulations to use." Kairee explains as Jane raises an eyebrow.

First things first, initiate Jane as a Novice… The Trio went down to The Armory to pick some weapons. "I'm sure you heard about the rise of Thermal Clips in weapon ammunition. We threw out all of our old crappy guns in favor of the Next-Gen." Alexander said, crossing his arms. Jane immediately picked out two small SMGs. "Alliance-Made. N7 Hurricanes, right?" Alex asked. Kairee just shrugged. Jane took an instant liking to them and holstered them both. In the Armor section was a set of new Kestrel Armor. Custom Painted White. Red Lights dotted the Armor. "Ah, that armor has a great shield recharge rate!" Alex explained as Jane went to touch it.

After picking out her weapons, The Assassin Trio took Jane to 'The Playground'. Holograms of angry looking men and women of all species were standing around with various weapons in a separate quarter of the room. Kairee tapped Jane's shoulder and presented her with a single Hidden Blade. It took the friendly appearance of a fashionable N7 bracer, but it was revealed to have a small, monomolecular blade on the inside of the front. Jane Shepard slid it on and flicked her wrist to test it. Success!

Jane was guided to a Holographic projector. Kairee stepped up to a small panel. "Setting up a match… I'm programming 'Standard Target'; I am arming it with a M3 Predator Pistol and a knife, and setting the difficulty to Level 10/100" she said, typing some variables in. The Projector summoned one very solid looking image of an angry man in standard civilian clothing. "Pesky Assassin, you will die this day!" The VI roared, running at Jane, knife raised up in the air. "OH GOD!" She shouted, tripping over to the side as the VI charged, and she reached for her SMG. She put a couple rounds in its head and the VI fizzled out. The Projector summoned another one, but it was frozen in place. The Platform under Shepard rose up, supported by a beam. "Try an Aerial Assassination!" Alexander suggested. She shrugged and flailed her arms in panic. Sure she was Commander Jane Shepard, but it wasn't like she was used to jumping off of high places and landing on somebody without hurting herself. She fought Geth and Mercenaries, and was conditioned to combat, though Assassin and Templar tactics were new to her. "Jump off of that platform and land on the VI. Stab it with the Hidden Blade!" Kairee explained. Jane let her head down as she took a running leap from the platform. She landed on the VI and drove her wrist into the thing. Luckily she had done that right! Had she not, it would have been likely she'd have damaged her foot on the landing. "Great job, Jane, you are a natural!" Kairee cheered. "And I am now changing your opponent. A Mercenary with Moderate Armor and an Assault Rifle shouldn't be a problem!" Kairee said with a cute smile. "Level 20/100." she added. "The ammo will only zap you! Nothing deadly, otherwise we wouldn't have many Assassins now, would we?" Alexander disclaimed. A Mercenary VI in black armor was summoned, and it began firing on Shepard. She ran away from the VI, hiding behind cover until the VI had to "reload". She leapt out of cover and stabbed the VI in the throat, silently bringing it down as it fizzled out. Alexander applauded Shepard's bravery. Not many Assassins would run straight towards somebody with an Assault Rifle without the proper armor or skill. "You could use some training in Melee combat, but from what we know, you are a true warrior. At least with SMGs and Pistols, as a Sentinel, Assault weapons are not you're strongpoint. We believe you will make a great Assassin however, Commander." Kairee announced, deactivating the VI training station. "Now come on, Novice, I'm hungry and Lunch is currently being served." Alexander said, obviously hiding an Order behind a statement. Jane put a hand on her hip and looked at Alex. "I'm a Novice? I believe I was the hero of the Citadel." Jane joked. Alex walked over to her and told her to punch him. Jane reluctantly assumed an offensive stance and threw a wicked punch. The kind one would use to take out Khalisah al-Jilani. Alex sidestepped it, letting it whiz by his face. He stared right at the wrist for a half second before sweeping his arm into Jane's, punching her in the chest, twirling his arm around Jane's, grabbing the elbow, and sweeping Jane off her feet by pulling them out from under her with his own feet. He pinned Jane to the ground and held a hidden blade to her cheek. The entire time, his expression did not change a single time. "What is your secret!?" Jane asked, astonished. Alexander stood up and helped Jane to her feet.

"Wax On, Wax Off." Alex said, swiping his arms in the air as if he was washing something.

**((AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am completely aware that this chapter sucked. This was my acclimation stage of writing, when I warm up to my creation. I'm always a crappy writer at this stage but it gets better as time progresses. Give this chapter a chance. It's the first of my first story :D))**


	2. Freedom's Progress

**Citadel Assassin Bureau, 2185**  
The Day had started off well. Jane Shepard awakened in her Bed one fine morning in 2185, a Year after her initiation. She had risen through the ranks to become a Disciple. After shaking off the grogginess, Jane had gotten dressed in a simple white robe with a leather harness and a red wool sash across her waist, her hidden blade, and some simple combat boots. She took her own sweet time heading down to the Cafeteria, as it was early in the morning by Galactic time standards.

A male Human Assassin was arguing with a Volus about "Biotics vs. Technology" when it came to hidden blade power. Lora Ban (Volus) and Frederico Corado (Human) argued like this many a time, and the solution was to simply separate them rather than try to get involved in the conflict itself. They were as immature as children, often getting on each other's case about the little things, like favorite song, planet, or legendary Assassin, like Desmond Miles, or Connor Kenway. Lora took great pride in her work as an Engineer, and Frederico was a stubborn Adept who appreciated his biotic powers. Jane Shepard listened in as both sides reiterated their sides of the story. "Stabbing with a Hidden Blade is like punching somebody! If you were to charge said punch with biotics, the force of the punch is increased. The same should go if you stabbed something or someone with a biotically charged thrust of the blade." The Human argued. The Volus facepalmed at this and took a deep breath. "*Hhhkkkt*, sometimes it's not about *Hhhkkkt* brute force, Earth-Clan! An *Hhhkkkt* electric charge can stun and *Hhhkkkt* burn a target in case a *Hhhkkkt* simple stab can't do the job!" she said, disapprovingly. The Human's biotics flared up and he looked like he was ready to start a fight. The Volus activated her Omnitool and aimed it at the Human. As the Volus thrust her short arm at the Human's thigh, Jane intervened by pulling the Biotic aside. The Volus shouted at her in her native tongue, and the Human cursed in Portuguese. "You want to hear my opinion?" Jane asked firmly. The Volus deactivated her Omnitool and crossed her arms. "I think instead of arguing like little kids about which one is right, try combining the two and seeing what you get. Take it from a Sentinel: Biotics and Tech in one package." Jane explained, throwing the Human aside and walking off to the Cafeteria. The Human looked at the Volus and blushed, embarrassed to even have been a part of that fight, now that the realization finally dawned on him. "You uhh, wanna *Hhhkkkt* go catch a Vid at the theater?" the Volus asked shyly, in an attempt to make peace with the man she so "despised". The Human nodded and threw his hood over his face as it had turned brick red.

Alexander had already eaten Breakfast and had watched the whole thing go down. "Violent, Pretty, and Diplomatic are all traits of a good Assassin." He said with a chuckle as Jane sat next to him with her tray. "The Citadel Master called a meeting set in a few hours' time. Something about Cerberus was said, but she wouldn't give us any spoilers." Alex informed Jane as she munched on her meal. Jane nodded and continued to eat. "A cute couple those two might make." Alex mused as he looked at the Volus and Human walk out of the Assassin Bureau. Jane swallowed a piece of egg and smirked at the thought of a Volus/Human couple, but after all, "Nothing is true, everything is permitted", right?

The Citadel Master, an Asari named Ayana T'Lona, had arranged a meeting in Briefing Room #7. The Rank limit was Assassin (R1) and higher, so Kairee (Veteran) and Jane (Disciple) waited outside, and so they got to talking. "So I heard you actually got Lora Ban and Frederico Corado to stop fighting and start _dating_." Kairee asked in an effort to stay awake. Jane shrugged. "I just broke up an argument about biotics versus tech in hidden blades…" she said, obviously confused. "Well, whatever you did, apparently not even Ayana T'Lona could come up with a better solution. It was always just 'get Frederico out of the Bureau' or 'fake a skycar malfunction and tell Lora to fix it.'" Kairee joked, punching Jane's shoulder lightly.  
Inside the Briefing Room, Ayana was NOT AMUSED. "I am aware that Human Colonies have been vanishing over the past few months. Trust me, my Office is stuffed full of complaint notes and the whole ordeal is appearing on several News stations. Though, today I have something that should really interest us in this issue. We have Intel that Cerberus is reacting to these abductions quite negatively, and is sending a team to investigate…Freedom's Progress." Ayana explained as she activated a Holographic Display of the Colony. "This is an Assassination Mission, but you are not authorized to kill any target until all information on what is abducting the Colonies has been leaked. This could have a heavy risk, as we could not figure out exactly who was going to be present, but the prize will be great. **(Meanwhile, Jacob Taylor was doing sit-ups when he felt a disturbance in the force... as if his line had been stolen.)** It was however a small force, possibly three, maybe four or more." Ayana detailed with emphasis on "high risk".

Immediately Alexander stood up. "I volunteer to take this contract." He declared confidently. Ayana nodded, "And how many Assassins are you going to take with you?" she inquired. "I will take two: Jane Shepard and Kairee Antar." Alex answered sincerely. "Then gear up, Assassin. Your squad mates are waiting outside, even though they shouldn't be." Ayana stated, pointing outside to the pair, just sitting and talking to one another.  
As the Assassins left the Briefing Room, Alexander made his way to Kairee and Jane, smiling. "So how did it go?" Kairee asked curiously, anxious to know what she had missed. "It was like nothing happened to be honest. Pretty slow... Although I volunteered us to go to Freedom's Progress to fight some Cerberus Thugs!" Alex exclaimed eagerly. Jane and Kairee looked at each other and then at Alex. "When do we start?" they said in unison.

The Assassin Trio ran to the Armory, eager for their first major assignment as a squad. Sure, each of them had made solo Assassinations or occasionally teamed up for a scout/espionage mission, but nothing serious. Not like anything that got on News Networks!  
Alexander equipped himself with a M96 Mattock Auto and an M11 Suppressor. He was dressed in a set of White and Red Kestrel Armor, with a modified helmet: He had hooked up this Holographic Visor with the Heads-Up-Display, and modified the faceplate so it would cover his mouth and nose without looking stupid or suffocating him. He would throw a Hood on over that and use his biotic barrier to defend his forehead from fire.

Kairee chose her M98 Widow Rifle and of course the M11 Suppressor. She chose to wear her classic Predator* Armor, and a Recon Hood modified for Turian Head-Shape. Her Savant Omnitool flashed on for a minute before fading.

***No, not like THE Predators from the movies. An Armor Set from Mass Effect. Camouflage Colored **

Jane Shepard actually had a very special, very custom choice of Armor. She would wear a robe in a similar fashion to the great Ezio Auditore, and had a set of Kestrel armor dismantled. She wore the Chestpiece and Shoulderguards over the robe, but let the Sleeves of it show, puffed out slightly after the elbow, as the Kestrel Gauntlets were used as well. As for the bottom of her robe, that was the special part: longer in the back, down to the back of the knee, and parted on the front at the thighs. Lightweight armor plating was placed here to protect her lower body, and Kestrel leggings and boots went underneath the armored robe. She wore a hood and HUD visor underneath.

As Jane snatched her N7 Hurricanes off a nearby crate, Alexander swiped a satchel full of Thermal Clips and bolted out the door. The Trio walked out of the main entrance of The Bureau and proceeded to a black Skycar parked neatly in a row of similar Skycars of different colors. Alex smiled as he unlocked and opened the door for Kairee and Jane, before hopping into the driver's seat. "You can drive better than I can, right?" Jane asked teasingly, to which Alexander rolled his eyes and gestured for her to be quiet. The ride to their transport vessel was brief.

"So tell me about Freedom's Progress? Is it Urban or Agrarian? What can we expect to find?" Kairee asked impatiently. Jane filled her in quietly as Alexander parked the Skycar at the Spaceport. "We're here." Alex calmly reminded the two as he stepped out. The Trio moved on through the hallways of the Citadel Spaceport and was stopped by a Woman in a Blue, Red, and Yellow Robe. She had short dark brown/black hair and tan skin. She looked frustrated towards something, but it was not completely apparent. "Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News." she introduced herself, "Finally I've been able to track down somebody associated with 'them'." She said proudly for the Camera. "Who is 'them'?" Alex lied, knowing fully well who "them" was. "That is what I am trying to expose for the Galaxy. Sir, several people report seeing men and women of all species dressed in White and Red leaving a very small building on the Presidium Commons. Some folk have even claimed that certain people have 'disappeared' while commenting that they saw previously mentioned 'Men in White' fleeing the scene on the rooftops, or by climbing around on the windows and ledges!" Khalisah explains. "What do you have to say about this? Is there any- Shepard!?" she begins, but she notices Jane Shepard catching up to Alex and Kairee. "You're with these two I suppose?" she asks, feigning innocent curiosity. "And that armor is unlike anything I have ever seen. Fashionable I'll admit that much, but strange. Why dismantle Kestrel Armor for the sake of showing off a white Robe, hmm?"

Jane rolled her eyes under her hood and flipped it down off her head, revealing her visor. She looked at Kairee, who stood straight and gave a "sincere" answer. "We have no knowledge of such people committing such crimes. I suggest you check your sources before accusing people of murder, assault, and theft." Khalisah gave a huge smile and her eyes widened. "I never asked about assault or theft!" she declared victoriously. She continued ranting, "And you must be with these Men in White I presume, Turian?" she asked. "How can you sleep at night knowing that you and your allies have caused so much pain and suffering?"

Jane sighed and stepped up. "Allow me to handle this like a Shepard." She ordered. "I've had enough of your malicious allegations." She declared, punching Khalisah in the left eye, knocking her on her rear. "AH!" Khalisah cries as she hits the ground. "I'll make sure everyone in The Alliance sees that! You murderers will be exposed!" she shouts as she attempts to run away with her camera. "And, no we won't." Kairee chuckles as she types something on her Omnitool. Khalisah's Camera Drone falls and hits her in the head, knocking her down before cracking in two when it crashes with the floor. Jane applauds Kairee for her hacking skills before turning to Alexander. "What's with her? I mean, I know she's a Tabloid Journalist, but why is she so curious about The Assassins?!" she asks nervously as she scratches the back of her head. "We get this sort of thing often. Reporters come begging us to break the third tenet and we just lie or shove them aside." Alex explains. The Trio walks on, past Khalisah's unconscious body, and to their ship, bound for Freedom's Progress.

**Freedom's Progress, 2185**  
"We should be there shortly, Shepard, the Illusive Man put us under your command. Do you have any Orders? A young woman asks a Resurrected John Shepard. "Are you sure you'll be comfortable following my orders?" John asks. An African-American man next to the woman replies, "We didn't bring you back from the dead just to Second-Guess you, Commander. If the Illusive Man says you are in charge, you are in charge." He says.

Jacob Taylor and Miranda Lawson went with Shepard to Freedom's Progress.

"What makes you think this investigation will turn up anything new?" John asks curiously, to which Jacob responds, "At other colonies official investigators got there first, sometimes looters or Salvage Teams as well. We're hoping to be the first ones there this time. Maybe find clues before somebody else disturbs the scene." He says. "Just keep your eyes open. We're looking for anything that tells us who did this." John orders. Miranda smiles, "Understood Commander. With luck we'll find something that was missed at the other colonies!" she declares confidently.

After fighting through LOKI and FENRIS Mechs, John and company discover a small group of Quarians inside a small building, and they raised their guns. "Stop right there!" cried a male Quarian. A woman in a Purple Envirosuit intervenes. "Prazza, you said you'd let me handle this! Wait… Shepard?!" she says. "I'm not taking my chances with Cerberus  
operatives!" Prazza shouts, keeping his gun up. "Put those weapons down!" the woman orders. "Shepard? Is that… you're alive?" She asks, truly fascinated by John's apparent survival. "Cerberus rebuilt me, Tali. In return, they asked me to investigate these attacks on Human Colonies." Shepard said, smiling. "You'll pardon us for not taking you at your word, Cerberus." Prazza retorts, raising his gun up once more. "We're well within our rights to investigate attacks on *human* colonies. I'd like to know what the Quarians are doing here." Miranda replies, crossing her arms. "Weapons down Prazza, whatever's going on here I don't think we need another fight!" Tali ordered once more. "One of our people was here on Pilgrimage. His name was Veetor. We came to find him." She explained calmly. "Isn't that a little strange, A Quarian on a Human Colony?" John asks, tilting his head slightly. "Quarians choose where they want to go on Pilgrimage. Veetor liked the idea of helping a small settlement. He was always… nervous around crowds…" Tali clarified.  
The two teams talked for a moment before agreeing to team up, though Tali suggested they split up to draw fire from Security Drones. So Shepard's crew advanced, taking out assault drones as they marched on. "Shepard, Prazza and the others rushed ahead! I told them to wait but they wouldn't listen! They want to take Veetor before you get here!" Tali warned over the radio. This complicated things a bit… "Take point Shepard, we'll cover the door." Jacob recommended as Tali opened up the Loading Bay doors. Veetor had programmed a Heavy Mech to attack Prazza's squad, and it had decimated his team as Shepard arrived. The Mech crushed, shot, and/or blown up all of Tali's squad, except Tali'Zorah herself. "That Mech's got heavy armor plating. Those Quarians never stood a chance!" Jacob states as the last of the squad is gunned down. "This is gonna be one tough son-of-a-***** to take down!" Miranda exclaims from behind cover. But we all know that nothing is a challenge for Commander Shepard. Miranda overloads the Mech's shielding and John opens fire with his Cerberus Harrier. The YMIR mech responds with full force, and Jacob was blasted down as Shepard unloaded another clip into the mech. "JACOB!" Miranda cries as Shepard ran towards the Mech and brought it down by biotic-charging straight into the center of the Mech, knocking it down and causing it to explode. John ran to Jacob's side. "I'll be alright, Shepard." Jacob said as he picked himself off the ground and hissed as the pain shot through him. John picked up some supplies, gave Jacob some medigel, and the team was off. They trudged on through an average size warehouse and searched for anything useful.

What they didn't know, was that they were being watched. Six eyes watched from above as three figures crawled across the support beams up near the ceiling.  
Jacob and Miranda had regrouped to trade some Medigel for thermal clips when a bird call was heard above. The Cerberus agents looked around curiously but not up. As they went separate ways, a Human in Kestrel Armor and a Turian in Predator armor leapt down from an overhead beam and tackled them to the ground, covering their mouths so they would not scream, and they dragged them into the shadows.

"Where are the Colonists? What took them? Answer us and we will not harm you yet." The Turian asked while grasping Jacob's throat like a child grasps a stuffed toy. He tried to pry her fingers off of him, but he failed and could only manage a faint, "Shepard…"  
Thanks to the Lazarus Project, John Shepard's senses were improved, and he turned around to see a Female Turian holding Jacob's throat. He instinctively opened fire on the two attackers and they dropped Miranda and Jacob, running back into the shadows and climbing up to the beams. John's team fired upon the hostiles as a third; female, human assailant joined the fray. "How do we shoot these guys, because I can't!?" Jacob shouted as his attempts to defeat the three unfriendly targets failed as they ran across the support beams around the warehouse. The male and female humans leapt down from the beams as the Turian kneeled and began sniping from her perch. "I'm going for the leader, take out his backup!" the male human ordered, putting his guns away. "Right away!" the female called back. She drew fire from Miranda and Jacob as the Male rushed straight for John, flicking his wrist to reveal a Hidden Blade. He switched direction to avoid being shot straight in the face and ran along a nearby wall of crates as he was literally followed by bullets."Can I get a little help over here?!" John cried as his opponent got closer, gravity taking hold and causing him to drop off the wall. The male human now bolted straight for John. "Shepard!" Jacob roared as he shot at the Male Human with his M4 Shuriken.  
The Human Female stopped dead in her tracks. "Shepard?" she asked herself quietly. She put two and two together just as the male human was mere feet away from Shepard, and threw herself between her comrade and John. "Alex! Stop!" she screamed as she grabbed Alexander's wrist and stopped him from killing John. "What are you doing, Disciple?!" he asked angrily, pushing her back against John. John stepped back and looked at his guardian. "Jane!?" he inquired, smiling widely and dropping his weapon. "John! You're alive!" Jane Shepard shouted out joyfully as the two long-lost siblings hugged for the first time in two years. Miranda and Jacob stood by Alexander angrily, crossing their arms. Jacob pounded his palm with his fist as Miranda's biotics flared up. The Female Turian, who you should have guessed was Kairee Antar, jumped down from her sniper post and put away her Widow Rifle. "I thought you were dead!" Jane said, crying into John's shoulder. "I was only mostly dead." John replied with a smile. He had used that reference on purpose. Before the parental divorce that separated them, Jane would always watch that old vid, "The Princess Bride" with her friends during sleepovers, and John had gotten trapped in more than one of them. Jane's happiness soon turned to irritation when she looked back at Miranda and Jacob. "Why in God's Shining Galaxy are you working with Cerberus?" she asked, interrogatively, to which John's eyes widened as he tried to find an adequate answer for his stubborn sister. "Cerberus was the one who rebuilt me after I died over Alchera. I had no other options, Jane. Please, forgive me!" John answered worriedly. There were only three things that scared John Shepard, and one of them was his sister. Jane thought about this for a moment before turning to Alexander and Kairee. "Don't kill him. He's my twin brother, and Commander John Shepard besides." Jane requested, to which Alexander growled and lowered his weapons. "Fine by me, so long as we figure out who keeps abducting colonies and that they don't get in our way." He muttered. Jane smiled and hugged her brother once more. The other two Assassins looked at the Cerberus agents and snarled. "Templars…" Kairee murmured, eyeing Miranda up and down. "Assassins…" Jacob replied, squinting irritably at Alexander.  
"Jacob, Miranda, stand down, I believe that my *sister* and her friends can help us." John ordered, and he and Miranda became caught in a standoff of opposing ideals. Eventually Miranda caved under John's intense staring skills and agreed to let the Assassins tag along. "We find Veetor, turn him in, discover our threat, and get off this ghost-planet." Jacob recaps, putting his hands in his pockets and walking off. John and Jane smiled at each other and followed after Jacob, and in turn were followed by Miranda and the Assassins. "So what have you been up to while I was dead?" John asked curiously, and Jane replied happily. "I've been working with some good people." She said. John tilted his head and looked back at Kairee and Alexander. "They don't seem very friendly…" he muttered. Jane rolled her eyes at John and explained as best she could. "Let's just say that they are against Cerberus, only they take up arms against them, outside of Alliance or Citadel regulations."

The extended team made their way through building after building until they came across a small "shack" with a Quarian inside, babbling incoherently. "Monsters coming back… Mechs will protect… safe from swarms… have to hide… No monsters, No swarms… No-No-No-No-No." he said audibly, yet hushed. Shepard gave a look of sympathy, "Nobody's going to hurt you anymore." He said, looking straight at Veetor. No response. "I don't think he can hear you, Commander." Jacob commented, leaning towards Shepard while keeping his stare directed at Veetor. John opened his Omnitool and hacked the screens in front of Veetor to shut them off. He panicked and got up. "You're human… where did you hide? How come they didn't find you?" Veetor asked with utmost curiosity while the Assassin Trio walked up to Shepard. "How come what didn't find us?" Alex responds with another question. "The monsters… the swarms… they took everyone!" he cried. "Why didn't the colonists fight back, Veetor? What happened?" Shepard inquired. "You don't know… you didn't see… but I see everything." Veetor calmly said as he replayed footage on his screens. "Looks like security footage. He must have pieced it together manually." Miranda murmured. "What the hell is that!?" Jacob asked with shock as they looked on. "My God… I think it's a Collector!" Miranda answers with equal shock. "I thought the Collectors kept to themselves…" John wondered as he looked on with bulging eyes. "They usually work through intermediaries like slavers or hired mercenaries. "If they're involved with the Reapers somehow, it could explain what happened to the Colonies…" Miranda clarifies.

On the screens, there were images of mosquito hawk-like bugs flying around, stinging people, and causing them to fall down paralyzed, and they were hauled into levitating stasis pods by Collector Foot soldiers. "The Collectors have advanced technology: They can have a weapon that disables an entire settlement at once." Jacob adds. "The Seeker Swarms… The Seekers find you, freeze you… then the monsters take you away…" Veetor explains fearfully. John and his team trade ideas and ask questions. "What happened next?" John asks Veetor, to which he explains what they do: "The Monsters took the people onto the ship, and then they left. The Ship flew away, but they'll be back for me. No one escapes!" Veetor cries frightfully. "I think that'll be all we get out of him." Jane states. "We appreciate what you told us. You were very helpful." John says with a smile, comforting Veetor. Veetor reveals his has data on his Omnitool about the Collectors. Miranda looks at John, "Grab the Quarian and call the shuttle to come pick us up." She suggests, as Tali walks into the room. "What? Veetor is injured. He needs treatment, not interrogation… Jane?" She asks, looking at an unmasked Jane Shepard. Jane smiles and rushes to greet her, "Tali!" she shouts, and the two give a friendly hug. "Jane! Haha, the whole family's getting back together, eh?" Tali'Zorah said, breaking the hug quickly and assumes a more professional stance. Jacob looks her way, "We won't hurt him, and we need to see if he knows anything else. He'll be returned unharmed."  
"Your people have betrayed us once. If we give him to you we may never get the Intel we need." Miranda clarifies. Tali frowned behind her mask, "Prazza was an idiot, and he and his men paid for it. You're welcome to take Veetor's Omnitool data, but please, just let me take him." She pleads. "You don't have to take Veetor and go. We could work together, just like old times." John proposes with a thoughtful smile. "I want to, but I can't. I have a mission of my own. It's too important for me to abandon, even for you." Tali replies seriously, which hit Shepard where it hurt emotionally. "When it's over, and I'm still alive, we'll see what happens." She adds, seeing the hurt in his eyes. "That sounds dangerous, what are you doing?" John questions. Seeing as how he's occupied with Tali, his team and the Assassins turn around and begin their own conversation. "Jane Shepard, hrm? How did you get mixed up with The Assassins?" Miranda asks the young woman. She frowns and stares at Miranda. "I was recruited a year after John's death. I had to do something while my only sibling was *dead*. I'm helping people of all species, just like the old days." She explains openly. Jacob and Miranda exchange looks. "You don't seem to realize, but we're helping people too." Jacob said in an attempt to sway Jane's mind to their side. It doesn't work. "Have you ever read '1984', or 'The Giver'?" Jane asks. Jacob shuffles his feet, nodding. "Your goals are similar to the societies in those stories, no?" Jane adds, smiling. Miranda butts in. "Excuse me, but you can't *base* something you don't understand, on some old *fiction*." she replies irately. "Yes, and at the time those were written, Element Zero was fiction. Nothing's impossible." Jane said to reinforce her point. "I dunno... she has a point, Miranda." Jacob said, shrugging. "I'm not really 100% on board with everything The Templars and Cerberus says. I'm just fed up with the Alliance and the Council."

John got done speaking to Tali. "He's traumatized and he needs medical care. Tali will give us the Omnitool Data and take him to the flotilla." John stated. "Understood, Commander…" Miranda replied with a nod. "Thank you Shepard. Glad to see you're the one giving orders. Good Luck out there. If I find anything that can help you, I'll let you know." Tali'Zorah says gratefully.

"We're ready for Pickup." Jacob says, and they all walk out of the building together.  
Cerberus "Minuteman" Station, 2185

The Assassins took their shuttle back to the Citadel, and Shepard's team head back to Their Station. After a brief conversation with The Illusive Man, Shepard finds that Joker is alive and working as a pilot for Cerberus. Better yet, he's walking! It is also revealed that Cerberus has built a new ship for Shepard's Team. The "Normandy SR2"…

**Mission Report [Cerberus]: Mission Success  
-Colonists discovered to have been taken by The Collectors.  
-Data on Collectors received from Quarian named Veetor.  
-Veetor sent back to flotilla. Data received from Omnitool.  
-Resources acquired: Iridium, Medigel, Credits, etc.**

**Mission Report [Assassins]: Minor Mission Failure  
-Colonists' Abductor Discovered: The Collectors.  
-Further Data Forwarded to Cerberus. Nothing we can't hack into or don't already know, I'm sure.  
-Quarian Team discovered, however KIA due to reprogrammed mechs. Leader survived; Hostage Situation. Veetor the Quarian sent back to the Flotilla.**

**Citadel: Presidium Commons, 2185**  
Jane Shepard was at the Apollo Café with Frederico and Lora Ban, discussing their Relationship.

"I don't get it. You two have been at each other's throats, from what I hear, for months since you joined the Assassins! Next thing I know, you two are suddenly dating?" Jane asks, explaining her confusion on behalf of the Brotherhood. "Sinto Muito." Frederico responds in Portuguese. "It's just the fire in her eyes for her work as an Engineer is appealing to me. I guess we had more in common than we thought." He adds. He wasn't ashamed of his relationship with a Volus, though, Human/Volus dating relationships are generally uncommon even in Citadel Space, and Frederico was afraid that people may come between him and Lora. "Like what?" Jane said, leaning back in her seat. The young Volus woman raised her hand up to answer. "Both of us *Hhhkkkt* deeply care about the Brotherhood, and *Hhhkkkt* both of us are quite intelligent. *Hhhkkkt* we've been working on some schematics for a *Hhhkkkt* Hidden Blade with both that electric shock and biotic amplification." Lora says shyly, and Frederico pulls out a blueprint for a hidden blade mechanism. Sure enough, it was both capable of Biotic Amplifying and Electro-Shock, all while remaining discreet and unnoticeable. "Wow… I have to admit this is fantastic you guys!" Jane said, quite impressed by the couple's ingenuity. She handed the blueprint back to Frederico and he slipped it back into his pocket. "Our pride in our work brought us together, even though we didn't always see eye-to-eye. I guess we're also both stubborn." Frederico said with a lighthearted chuckle. Lora punched him in the shoulder playfully. "Alexander was right, you two are actually pretty cute together." Jane admitted, nodding.

Suddenly Jane felt somebody tapping on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw John in a casual Spacer outfit standing behind her. "John!" she called, standing up and hugging him. John smiled and returned the sibling hug. "I have a huge surprise for you. Actually two. He whispered. Frederico and Lora exchanged weird looks before returning their stare to Jane and John. "This is my twin brother: Commander John Shepard." She pronounced proudly. Lora and Frederico immediately shot out of their seats and went to greet him. "An Honor to meet you sir, it really is, I can't believe your alive! I'm a huge fan and strive to become every bit the man you are as a biotic and a hero. What is death like? Did you see an Afterlife?" Frederico shouted, shaking John's hand and running his sentences together in a ramble. Lora tugged on Frederico's pant-leg. "*Hhhkkkt* too much, Honey." She whispered. Frederico stepped aside for the siblings. "Jane, TIM called me back after Freedom's Progress. He sent me a flipton of dossiers, but I think that maybe I should bring some more friends to tag along. We're at war with the Collectors as of today, Jane. Could you find the time to join us?" John asked sincerely with caring eyes. Jane looked at her Assassin friends. "Only if I'm not the only one coming along for the ride." She said, to which John responded with a smile. "I never said you were going to be alone. Bring as many friends as you think is appropriate." He says.

Jane bits her lower lip, nods at Lora and "Fred", and pulls John along to the Main Entrance of The CAB (Citadel Assassins Bureau). "What's in here?" John questions when they enter the small, dingy room with the engraved door. "Just watch." Jane says as she enters the Access Code. The Arabic engravings circle the Assassin Insignia once in a full rotation before the Door splits and opens up. Jane, Fred, and Lora lead John down into the bowels of the Bureau before coming to the main room. John's jaw dropped as he looked up at the sparkling waterfall among other things in the well decorated room. "This is where you live?" John asked in shock. Jane nodded and proceeded to bring John to Alexander, who was sitting at the bar with a Krogan Assassin. He turned to see Jane with John close behind. His eyes widened and he looked at John with utter fear, doing a spit-take with his drink in the process, much to the irritation of the Krogan (Were this an Anime, he would have sweatdropped). "You brought a Cerberus Operative to our main HQ!?" he panics, aiming his hidden blade at John's face. "You fool! He could have a Mind Control chip planted in his mind, or have some kind of camera hooked up to his eyes!" Alex shouted, listing possible theories for what Cerberus could have done to Shepard when they brought him back, and he gained the attention of several Assassins including Kairee, who surrounded the three and looked on from a safer distance, not wanting to enrage a well-trained Assassin. Jane took Alex's arm and lowered it. "Cerberus did nothing of the sort. They wanted the true Shepard, not an enslaved thrall." Jane explained, and John eagerly confirmed it. Alex sneered at John and settled down. "Fine, but the Assassin's Brotherhood does not get to The Illusive Man, are we clear, Mr. Shepard?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. John nodded, "Assassins Brotherhood?" John inquired, interested. "We've been around for millennia, as the Guardians of Free Will. Cerberus is part of a greater, now fragmented, Organization that wishes to eliminate Free Will to create a 'utopia' of sorts. Funny how utopia translates to 'outopos', meaning 'no place'. The cause of defending humanity is just, the means is not." Alex explains, as the crowd had now finally dispersed except for Lora, Frederico, and Kairee. John pondered this for a moment. "So what, you kill people who threaten Freedom and Liberty? You won't be doing that without me." John declared arrogantly. Alex sighed and stared straight into his icy blue eyes. "You can't just 'join' out of nowhere. Nobody but the Temptards know we exist." He muttered sarcastically, looking down and the ground and put a hand to his forehead.

"What do I do, and where do I sign up. I don't like Cerberus as much as you don't, and I'm itching to find a way to fight them, without fighting them openly and blowing my cover." John said. Alex smiled slyly and put a hand on his shoulder. "You can work with us, and I can work with you, but I will not trust you until I know you can *be* trusted. We clear?" He confirmed, patting his shoulder and leaning back on the bar counter. John stood in place and looked at the remaining Assassins around him. "Sis…could you back me up?" he requested. Jane turned Alex's way. "I'd like to join him on The Normandy SR2." She confessed. Alex lifted an eyebrow at Jane and then at John. "You'd have her on a Templar Ship?" he asked, taking a drink off the counter and raising it to his lips. "I would *gladly* have my own sister join me for this mission. Lora and Fred raised their hands. "We would like to join the Commander as well. I believe it will be an interesting and dangerous endeavor. He'll need all the help he can get, plus I'd like to see if the Templars have anything useful for our Blueprints." Frederico spoke on both of their behalves. Alexander bowed his head, "Then I guess this is an Assassin Mission too. I will be supervising this undertaking. Allow me to speak with the Citadel Master and request more help." He replied. "Well, if you're doing that, count me in. I'm going with you!" Kairee said, standing proudly. Alex nodded and walked away to go find the Master. "Wow, I already have a big team. I'll have to request a larger crew quarters be built." John quipped. "Just get us our own wing. You can pull some strings, right?" Jane replied, nudging his shoulder. "We got an inside man, now!"

The group had a few drinks at the bar, and Alexander came back with good news. "I have clearance. This is now an Official Assassin Operation." He announced joyfully. "I was assigned to monitor Cerberus' actions for the duration of the time the Collectors are being looked into. Commander John Shepard will remain in power on his own ship, of course... and we'll still be working with The Templars, but we'll take what data we can to fuel the war effort against the Collectors, the Reapers, and the Templars as well." He explained to the whole team. "I went around and asked anyone else if they wanted to join. I got three requests, but considering our size now, we have only one option. The other two will have to sit this one out for now." He added.


	3. Archangels and Demons

**((A/N: I consider this chapter to be part of my acclimation stage, although this chapter was when it started to end. Seawolf recently reviewed that I was rushing the story. I agree. However this was a conscious decision. I wanted to get things moving and leave room for wondering. I had hoped a lack of detail/backstory would get people interested. Alexander and Kairee have known each other for a LONG time in the Brotherhood and have strong albeit unrealized feelings for each other. I will be posting Origin Stories once I gain enough support. Thanks for your review, Seawolf :3))**

**Citadel Assassin Bureau, 2185**  
The Assassins' dossiers were neatly lined up on the bar counter. Alexander gave some additional and needless commentary as the Shepard Twins read on. "I like this Eleria T'Geya girl… she looks like she could hold her own, and knows what she is doing. Not a problem, right, Jane?" John thought aloud, to which Jane simply nodded and pointed to Eleria's dossier.

"I would like to take her along. Eleria T'Geya… would you please send for her?" Jane requested, handing the datapad to Alexander, who eagerly ran off with the pad.

From a private Communications Room, John Shepard set up a holographic conversation with The Illusive Man. From his end of the line, he heard the familiar beeping of an incoming call. He spun his chair around and picked up the call. "Shepard, how wonderful… I suspect this is about Recruitment?" he asked, to which John Shepard's holographic figure gave the thumbs up to. "I assigned you your dossiers; you should be going after these specific people, Shepard. We're not running a carpooling service, here," The Illusive Man quipped, covering his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"With 'all due respect', I believe that these people can make a difference in this mission!" John spoke in defense of his new allies. The Illusive Man looked up and shook his head.

"Al-Wait… what?" he said, looking at a small Holo-Screen floating before him. "This Channel… I can't track your location… where the hell are you, and who are these people, exactly?" T.I.M. boomed in anger. As a rule, he didn't like being on highly secured networks unless they were his own. Something fishy was going on here, and it wasn't the Tuna Tartar he had for lunch. John straightened up and calmed his nerves, so that he would remain convincing.

"These candidates are highly skilled mercenaries. I was at the Citadel, purchasing supplies, and talking to a few crewmembers, when they overheard me. They wanted glory, so they offered their services for free," He lied.

T.I.M. leans forward in his seat, obviously intrigued. "Tell me more…" he said in a persuasive manner.

John cleared his throat and proceeded. "A small band of fighters, they are… two Humans, an Asari, a Turian, and a Volus. And, this is the huge thing: I ran into my sister, Jane Shepard, today. She wants to assist us in any way she can. I suggest you allow her to come aboard. She saved me more than a few times during The Battle of The Citadel!" he explains.

The Illusive Man chuckled when John mentioned the Volus, but his eyes immediately widened and his mouth parted slightly when Jane Shepard was brought up. "I see… I'll authorize this. Just this once, though. Stick to the plan, Shepard, or should I just call you 'John' now that there are two Shepards onboard The Normandy?" T.I.M. asked, tilting his head to the left.

"John is fine." John Shepard answered. The Illusive Man "hung up" and left Shepard to himself as he contemplated the next course of Action. The Illusive Man spun back around, facing the Star that his Station was orbiting. This time, it was somehow a bright blue in Color. He sipped his wine, and took a puff of his cigarette before shoving it into the ashtray with a grin. He played a recording of the conversation back, and after running some scans on it, he discovered that the call had come from a Network only The Assassin's Brotherhood would have access to. He couldn't pinpoint the location exactly, but he did catch what John said about the Citadel. He saw through his lies like clear glass. He would remain a step ahead of these Assassins. Little did they know he would watch from afar, and use them for The Templar's gain!

**The Normandy SR2, 2185**  
John Shepard led the new team of seven to where the Normandy was docked, and instantly, Jane was in awe. "Oh my God, it looks just like the SR1!" she exclaimed, running ahead of John, laughing. The door slid open before Jane got there and there stood Joker, eyes bulging, a massive smile plastered his face.

He, albeit cautiously, spread his arms out wide for Jane to hug him. Caught in the moment, Jane must have hugged Joker a bit too tightly, and a popping noise was heard. "Ah! I think you broke a rib!" Joker called, backing away from Jane and clutching his ribcage.

"God, I'm so sorry!" Jane shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth. Joker immediately stood up with a classic "gotcha" grin as he replicated the popping noise with his mouth. Jane rolled her eyes and hugged him again, with more restraint this time around.

"Jane? What are you doing here?" Joker asked, tilting his head and shrugging.

"Ah, I was just visiting when John came by, to my shock, and showed me the Normandy… and you! Ha, how has life been going for you lately?" Jane chuckled.

Joker looked about before responding, "As you can see… I'm with Cerberus now. Sorry about that, it was just… all of these regulations! The Alliance threw a fit and disbanded the crew, Jane, and flying the Normandy was practically my life! What was I supposed to do when The Illusive Man calls me up saying he can give me a new Normandy, and John Shepard to go with it, because Hell Yeah, I'm ditching the Alliance!" he growls defensively.

Jane just smirks and nods, "Its fine, Jeff. I know that Cerberus is involved, but if I am working with my long lost brother, you, and for Humanity, count me in," she replied.

The Assassins had caught up with her by now, and had stepped into the Normandy for the first time. "Nice Ship you have here. I assume this is your pilot?" Frederico Corado inquires, gesturing to Joker, whilst looking at John Shepard. He nods, and motions for The Assassins to follow him through the Ship.

"Shepard, you strayed from your established recruitment list. I do not recognize these people. Searching for files, now…" EDI called out over the intercom.

"Jane, I'd like you to meet our new Ship-Cancer. 'EDI: Enhanced Defense Intelligence'." Joker sighed, rolling his eyes and walking off.

Jane was left as equally puzzled as her Assassin Colleagues. "You got an AI, really?" Jane asked as she put a hand on her hip and looked at John with that smirk that always made him feel bad.

"We got an AI, what of it?" John replied, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, we won't tell. It's not like we Assassins are… strictly speaking: 'legal'." Kairee added. John just let his hands fall back to his sides in a huff and walked off. This was going to be a long assignment…

**(With The Assassin's Brotherhood and Cerberus backing this operation, the real mission can begin. First order of business, fill in the Ranks. Among the recruited were Doctor Mordin Solus, and the Tank-Bred Krogan "Grunt", as well as "Subject Zero", a Human Biotic who goes by "Jack". She was freed from the prison ship "Purgatory". The Master Thief Kasumi Goto, and Mecernary Zaeed Massani were recruited as well. Last in this list of Dossiers, is the enigmatic "Archangel", who is operating on the Criminal Space Station/Haven of "Omega". So far, The Assassins have gotten along quite nicely with the Squad and Crewmen, though a rivalry brews between Frederico and Jacob, and Miranda still believes it was a terrible decision to bring the Assassins along for the ride. For the Archangel recruitment, John Shepard has chosen Alexander Clarke and Kairee Antar to accompany him.)**

**Omega**  
The Normandy flies in, dodging Asteroids along the way. John, Alex, and Kairee stepped off the shuttle.  
Alex was clad in his almost iconic Kestrel Armor, and Kairee had invested in some research to make her own armor more efficient with the times, and was now sporting reverse-engineered Blue Suns armor, colored in white and red instead of the normal blue and white. They proceeded down the hallways until a Salarian approached them. "Ah! Welcome to Omega! You're new here, aren't you? I can always tell. Allow me to…" he tried to say, until a Batarian walked up behind him.

"Oh… hello Moklan, I was just…" he again tried to say before Moklan interrupted him.

"Leave Fargut, now…" Moklan said in a menacing tone.

"Of course Moklan, whatever she wants!" Fargut stutters as Moklan shooed him away.

"Blasted Scavengers... Welcome to Omega… Shepard." he said, eyeing John suspiciously.

"You know who I am?" John asks, shrugging.

"Of course… we had you tagged the moment you entered the Terminus Systems. You're not as subtle as you think!" Moklan sighed. "Aria wants to know what brings a dead Spectre to Omega. I suggest you go to Afterlife now and present yourself." He explains.

"Cut the Attitude… I'm not here to cause problems for Omega!" John disclaims, chopping the air with his hand for emphasis.

"Things explode around you, Shepard. You can't blame Aria for keeping an eye on you. Afterlife, now..." Moklan said.

"He has a point, Shepard. Only thing I can't understand is how they tagged a Stealth Frigate from so far away. Our shuttles almost never get caught, and when they do, we just bribe the records clean." Alexander added as the trio proceeded.

EDI then opened communications. "The Plague has been completely eradicated, Shepard. Dr. Solus' assistant has been helping any patients with complications." She said.

"Nice! Now I don't have to worry about dropping dead on the job!" Kairee said with a slight fist pump.

"That was your chief concern when a bunch of nut-jobs release 'The Black Death 2.0'?" Alexander asks, which Kairee responds to by looking at him strangely.

"What's the Black Death?!" she inquires in a shocked tone.

"It's an old disease that wiped out half the Human Race back on Earth. Bubonic Plague, really… we just didn't have the medicine to treat it at the time." John answered, looking over his shoulder. Kairee stopped and tried to imagine all of that. She shuddered instantly and followed after Alexander.

The team made their way through and inside the Afterlife club, where they split up to look for Aria and any information on Archangel. Alexander found a group of Mercenaries, Kairee went to the bar, and John spoke with Aria herself.

"That's close enough." Aria said arrogantly, and three guards aimed their pistols at John's unarmored head.

"Stand still." A young Batarian ordered as he opened his Omni-Tool and began a scan on Shepard.

"If you're looking for Weapons, you aren't doing a good job." He quipped, raising his pistol up for the Batarian to see.

"Can't be too careful with dead Spectres... That could be anyone wearing your face." Aria explained. The Guards lowered their weapons when the Batarian announced that he were clean.

"I was told you're the person to talk to if I have questions." John states as he walks past the Batarian.

"Depends on the questions…" Aria responds.

"You run Omega?" John inquired; Aria just laughs and turns back to the ad-screen.

"I AM OMEGA!" she declares, a strange flanging was added to her voice, like a sort of echo.

"That was unnecessary…" John thought as she turned back around to face Shepard.

"But you need more, everyone needs more something, and they all come to me." She explains vaguely. "I'm the boss, CEO, Queen if you're feeling dramatic. It doesn't matter. Omega has no titled ruler and only one rule…" she says, sitting down on the couch.

"DON'T… **** …WITH ARIA." She exclaims.

John simply smiles and tilts his head. "I like it, easy to remember." Aria sneers at Shepard.

"If you forget, someone will remind you." She adds, looking to the Batarian from earlier.

"And then I toss your sorry ass out the nearest airlock."

John sits down on the couch adjacent to Aria's and begins his conversation.

Meanwhile, Kairee was talking to the bartender about Archangel and the Mercenary mission. "Yeah, that Archangel riled up all three major Merc organizations, and they all teamed up to try to kill him. I hear they even brought out heavy mechs!" the bartender said, drying out a recently washed glass. Kairee decided that, while she was at a bar, she would stop for a second and buy a drink while the others were busy.

"You have any Levo-Dextro substitutions?" she asks. As much as she liked her own species' food, Alexander had once acquired and gifted Kairee with a Dextro Substitution for what Humans would call "Soju", and she was hooked.

The Bartender gives her a strange look before crouching down to rummage through the drink selection. Suddenly, a tall, male Turian approaches the bar and gives Kairee a sly smile. "Hey baby." He says, still retaining the grin and invading her personal space. 'Ughk…" Kairee scoffs, turning her head away from the Turian. He slides closer and throws an arm around her waist. "How's about you and I share a few drinks, maybe a few dances, eh?" he suggests, his face close to hers.

"No thank you." Kairee replied, turning away once more.

The Turian wouldn't let up, and he forced Kairee to look him in the eyes. "C'mon, you'll enjoy it." he said, dragging out his words. Alexander had just got done with the Mercenaries when he overheard the Turian talking to Kairee. For some reason, something inside him boiled as this imbecile harassed Kairee. It didn't take much of this guy to infuriate him, and even though Kairee was just a friend... something about the idea of Kairee being with someone else worried him. He didn't understand it quite yet, but for now, it was a time for action. He marched up to the bar and tapped the Turian's shoulder. He turned around with a growl to see Alexander standing there, helmet off and glaring furiously back up at him.

The Turian stood about two or three inches taller than Alex, but he did not falter. "You mind not treating her like that? She clearly doesn't want to talk to you." Alex suggests, putting anger aside to try and resolve this diplomatically.

The Turian male laughs like an idiot. "And what are you, her lover?" he asks sarcastically before shoving him away.

"Alexander… you don't have to do this…" Kairee murmurs sympathetically from the bar.

"Quiet, 'woman', this doesn't concern you." The Turian snaps. "I'll deal with the little Pyjak, and then you and I can head to my place."

Alexander's anger reaches a boiling point once more. He spreads his arms out wide to show vulnerability. "You wanted some dances, no? How about you dance with me?!" he roars, gaining the attention of most of the club-goers. They stop and look around to find the source of the shout and all eyes are on Alexander. Even John and Aria stopped to watch. John excused himself and tried to leave to break up the fight, but Aria stopped him.

"Just watch. Either your buddy gets himself killed, proving himself too weak for Omega, or he makes his skills known. The recruiters will want him. Let him have this." she reasoned, and John glared at her for a second before relenting.

"Because, I'm a great 'dancer'." Alex adds.

"Pah! You couldn't punch the wide side of a dreadnought!" the Turian laughs, shoving Alex back to the railing. "I'll knock you flat on your mandibles..." Alex said in a calm voice, with a smile, to which the Turian male snarls and throws a swift punch towards Alexander's jaw. Within seconds, [A/N: Slow Motion if you're feeling like it :3] Alexander had ducked and spun, whirling behind the Turian 180°, standing straight up and throwing his left hand behind his back. [A/N: Slow-Mo would end here] He flicked his wrist, activating his hookblade, and he yanked upwards, so that the hook would catch the Turian's clothing, and raise him into the air. Alexander released the Turian, and elbowed him in the lower back. He cursed and landed on his face. The Turian picked himself up and only felt more enraged, he tried to tackle Alexander to the bar, but he clapped his hands into both sides of the Turian's face, shocking him long enough to deliver a head-butt that would make a Krogan proud. Staggering backwards, the Turian checked his face, and sure enough, there was a bluish-purple blood on his fingertips.

"Are you a Man, or a Mouse?" Alexander taunts, and he is met with a successful punch to the eye as he celebrates. "OW! How did he land *that*…?" Alexander thought as the vision in his left eye worsens. Another punch, but Alex is ready for it. He throws his arm around the Turian's shoulders and rapidly strikes him in the chest three times, before sending his head into his knee, and upper-cutting as a finisher. The Turian slowly leans backwards, landing with a "thud". The crowd that had gathered began cheering, and Alexander was getting pings on his Omni-Tool: He was just sent some credits for winning. Kairee rushes to his side as the Turian attempts to sit up, only to fail. Alex walks over to him and kneels, his face close to his. "I think it would be beneficial for you to stay away from my friends and I… don't you agree?" he whispers as he backhands the Turian unconscious. As he stands and turns to Kairee, She jumps back and puts a hand over her mouth. "By the Spirits, your eye!" she calls out. Alexander puts a finger to his left eye and winces. The entire area around his left eye was a dark purplish-black, and my, was it swollen. John Shepard leaps off the balcony that he and Aria were on, and makes his way to the two. "My God… what was that about?" he asked. Alexander chuckles and looks up at Shepard. "Some jerk was harassing Kairee. I took care of him." He said, gesturing over to the unconscious Turian. "I didn't know you cared about her that much. I thought you two were just friends." John states rather dryly, crossing his arms. Alexander and Kairee both look at each other and blush fiercely. "Umm, I-I-, we, uh…" they both stutter in unison. "We are just friends. I didn't want to see her get hurt or worse." Alexander calmly explains. John smiles politely and gestures for the two to follow them.

The Recruitment Process was quick enough, but suddenly a young man enters the room. "Is this where I sign up?" he asked eagerly. John looks back and worriedly asks for the man's age. He was too young to take on Archangel as a freelancer. "I can handle it, and besides, I spent 50 credits for this pistol and…" he tries to explain, before Shepard jerks the pistol from his hands and breaks it, chipping the trigger off and denting the side. "Trust me, you'll thank me for this later…" he says with apologizing eyes. The man looks heartbroken as he looks down at his broken gun. Shepard returns this pain and walks away, shaking it off. He didn't want the boy to get killed fighting someone that powerful, and regretted having damaged his property and pride.

"Time to go find Archangel." Shepard announces as the trio exit the club.

* * *

**Omega, 2185**  
"Alexander, you didn't have to do any of that for me… I could have handled it, really!" a distressed Kairee said as she placed her hand on Alexander's shoulder. "I'll call for someone to pick you up, until then… who would replace you?" John asked. Alexander just grumbled. "Send for Eleria…" Kairee requested as John walked off, speaking to Joker through his helmet. "Kairee, I couldn't stand listening to that guy… I don't know what came over me." Alexander confessed, looking the other way. To his surprise, Kairee just kissed him on the cheek and turned his head to look into his eyes. "Thank you." She whispered with a warm smile. Alexander sat there, dumbfounded, but strangely pleased…  
The Shuttle arrived with Eleria in a short time, and Alexander boarded after Eleria had gotten off. "So, you think you're ready to take on 'Archangel', Novice?" Kairee asked as she approached Eleria. Her stare was unwavering, and she just scowled at Kairee. "Please, do not call me 'Novice'." She insisted, and Kairee just chuckled. "So be it, Eleria. Call me 'Kairee', rather than 'Veteran'." she replied. This was good enough for Eleria, and she shrugged and joined the rest of the squad. She was a Sentinel clad in a simple white combat robe and hood, similar to what the Levantine Assassins wore in the High Middle Ages (Think Altair). Her biotic barrier was her only protection, besides an M4 Shuriken SMG. As a Novice, she did not have proper weapons and armor training, nor did she possess the clearance needed to access that part of the Armory. She was content with what she had though and was ready to help her new allies. "So what do we do now, Commander?" Eleria asked, directing her gaze in the Commander's direction. Shepard gestured to the Blue Suns driver, a Batarian who was sitting on the hood of his Skycar. After a brief conversation, they piled into the Skycar and let the Batarian pilot them to their destination. "It's about time they sent me someone who looks like they can actually fight!" the driver exclaims. "Did they tell you what we're up against?" he asked, tilting his head ever so slightly. John Shepard shook his head. "The Recruiter was a little vague." He said. "We wouldn't get many hires if everyone knew the truth." The Batarian clarifies. "Archangel's holed up in a building at the end of the boulevard over there. He's got superior position, and the only way in is over a very exposed bridge. It's a killing ground, but he's getting tired, making mistakes. We'll have him soon enough!" He explains. "You guys have a plan?" John asks confidently. The Batarian blinks. "A small team is waiting to infiltrate his hideout, but we need to draw Archangel's fire so they can move in." he adds. "And that's where we come in?" John guesses, and Kairee sends him a look that seems to say "wait, what?"

"Exactly… You'll be on a distraction team. Head straight over the bridge and keep Archangel busy so the infiltration team can sneak in behind him." The Batarian boldly elucidated. Kairee's mandibles twitched as she considered this plan. "Spirits… normally, I'd think that was suicide…" she mused. "Pretty much, but you look like you can handle it!" the Batarian stated. "Head up to the boulevard and get to the third barricade… talk to Sergeant Cathka. He'll tell you when to go in." he adds. "I better go find Sergeant Cathka." John said, obviously stating the obvious. "Good idea… Watch yourself on the boulevard. Archangel's killed dozens out there already." says the Batarian. Eleria smirks. "Getting in there will be easy. Getting out… hey, where did I leave my Lift Grenades?" she said, suddenly looking around her belt for her grenades. When she found them tucked in a small pouch, she sighed in relief, and the Squad continues on. EDI comes on over the Comms. "Shepard, I've scanned the Area, but I am unable to plot any other paths to Archangel." She warned, and John simply smiled as he walked. "Guess we're going with the mercs…" he murmurs. "The Heavy Mechs and Gunship possess considerable firepower. Weakening them before leaving will improve your chances." She suggested, catching John's attention. "I see." He thought, entering a small room with Eclipse Mercenaries. "Wrong Room… my apologies." He says, seeing he's interrupted a Poker Game.

"Shepard, I'm getting uncomfortable around these mercenaries…" Kairee whispers as a Krogan Blood Pack member gives her the stink-eye. "Oh?" John asks, stopping, and looking back at Kairee and Eleria. "I think some of them recognize these colors, and Eleria's Combat Robes aren't helping matters. Right now, we're breaking the Second Tenet, 'Hide in Plain Sight'." Kairee replies in a worried tone. John crosses his arms. "If anyone shoots, we shoot back. At least, that was my strategy." He explains with a hint of annoyance, seeming to challenge Kairee. "Well then, allow me to do things my way this time around, please."  
Kairee looks back and forth at the Mercenaries before walking off. When she finds a blind spot, she runs into the wall, dashing right up and throwing her hand onto a firm wire, which she uses for support as she busts into the ventilation. Shepard takes his own sweet time walking through the Mercenaries trying to get a shot in on Archangel from afar. He enters a room full of tech gear, and a massive YMIR Mech just sitting right in the back of the room. Kairee had already gotten in there. A Ventilation plate next to her suggested she crawled through the ducts. Looking up, Shepard saw a square hole in the ceiling. "Sneaky little lady, aren't you?" he asks as Kairee finished hacking the YMIR. "There we go. That should keep them busy!" Kairee chirps, clapping her hands together and admiring her handiwork. "C'mon, we have to get to Cathka." John reiterates. Kairee nods and follows him out the door. "You always have to take the boring route, don't you?"  
After some exploration, the Squad finds a team of Blue Suns mercs surrounding a heavily armored Batarian with a helmet. He is welding the Gunship to try and repair the damage done.

"Sergeant… Cathka…" he introduced himself, tapping his helmet. His visor turned more translucent, allowing the three to see his face. "Ah, you must be the group that Salkie mentioned. You're just in time." He adds with the faintest of smiles. "Were you waiting for us?" John asked. "The Infiltration team is about the give the signal. Archangel won't know what hit him." Cathka said, and the two walk up to a terminal with the Gunship schematics. "Got any questions? This may be your last chance." Cathka inquired. Cathka lit a cigarette and took a puff, blowing the smoke in John's face. "So our plan is to jump the wall and head for Archangel's building?" John asks, waving the smoke out of his face. "And try not to get killed too fast. You're only a distraction as long as you're alive." Cathka added, ignoring the question for the time being. "You don't have to make it all the way across! Just keep Archangel watching that bridge, the infiltration team will do the rest!" Cathka said, returning back to the question. John waves more smoke out of his face. "Are you leading the assault?" he asked. "Ha! Tarak doesn't pay me to fight. I just plan the attacks and fix the damn gunship." Cathka laughs. "You freelancers get the privilege of…" he tried to say. The terminal begins to flash, and a voice is heard. "Target in sight… We're a go."

"Check… Bravo Team, GO, GO, GO!" Cathka roars. "Archangel's got quite a surprise waiting for him. But, that means no more waiting for me!' Cathka said, heading back to the gunship. "Gotta get her back to 100% before Tarak decides he needs her again." He murmured, heading back to the Gunship. Shepard looks over at the welder on the table. He has a dark thought, and it leads to dark action. He picks it up and walks over to Cathka. "You're working too hard." He says dryly, before jamming the welder into Cathka's back. Immediately it sears through his armor and into his flesh, digging deeper until the shock and burning of the electric welder finally kills Cathka. Shepard walks away as Cathka hits the ground with a thud. Kairee kneels over him, and removes his helmet. "Leave this life in Peace." She whispers, running two of her three fingers over Cathka's face, closing his four eyes. Shepard looks back and raises an eyebrow. "What was that?" he asks, gesturing to Kairee as she is knelt over the Blue Suns sergeant. "Oh, it's an Assassin Tradition. All people are born of the seed of good, but can sometimes grow in bad soil. Regardless of their transgressions, we should always respect the dead, especially those of our targets and brethren. So, in respect, we do not desecrate the bodies of our enemies, and if their eyes are left open from a quick kill, we normally close them with two fingers and say a short prayer of peace. Prayers vary depending on the species of the target and his or her killer." Kairee explains. Eleria inquisitively observes, listening as Kairee explains this important part of the Brotherhood's customs and etiquette. "Interesting as this is, and it is genuinely intriguing, I do believe Archangel needs help." Eleria finally says, running off with Shepard. Kairee nods at Cathka's corpse and follows suit.

The distraction team is decimated within seconds, and a few Freelancers are left straggling. "C'mon, let's give them a surprise of our own." Shepard says, cracking his knuckles. "Eleria, remember that Hidden Blade you were given?" Kairee asks, pointing to her own wrist before flicking it. Her own blade slides out of her armor's bracers and she pokes the tip of it. Eleria nods, and after a few tries, gets her blade to work. She runs up to a Freelancer and tackles him recklessly, pinning him into the ground with her blade. "I did it!" Eleria called excitedly. "They're with Arch-ACK!" another Freelancer calls, but Kairee put an M11 Suppressor bullet into his throat before he finished. "Rest in Peace." She repeats, holstering the pistol and switching to a Phaeston Assault Rifle. "You guys ready?" she asks. Shepard pulls out an M8 Avenger. "I'm more than ready." He replies stoically. The three charge in, dodging concussive rounds by Archangel and taking out Freelance Mercenaries as they went. They entered a large living room, where a tall figure in blue armor awaited them. "Archangel…?" John asked. Archangel lifted his hand up, signaling that he'd be with them in a minute. He picked off the last of the Freelancers as he moved away from the safety of cover. Archangel stepped over to Shepard and company. Removing his helmet, he sat down on the arm of the couch and looked John dead in the eyes. "Shepard… I thought you were dead." He muttered. John smiled at the Turian. "Garrus, what are you doing here?!" he said, excited to see his best friend again. Kairee stood behind him and eyed Garrus up and down. "Not bad…" she murmured under her breath, Eleria just looked at her curiously and then back to Garrus. "Just keeping my skills sharp… a little target practice." He replied, looking from his Sniper Rifle back to Shepard and his team. "You okay?" John asked with concern, and Garrus smiled warmly. "Been better, but it sure is good to see a friendly face." He responds. "Killing Mercs is hard work, especially on my own." he adds. Shepard rolls his neck around a few times. "You nailed me pretty good a couple of times, by the way…" he mentioned sarcastically. Garrus chuckled. "Concussive rounds only, no harm done… you wouldn't want the mercs getting suspicious."

"Uh-huh." Shepard retorted, squinting. "If I wanted to do more than take your shields down, I'd have done it. Besides, you were taking your sweet time. I needed to get you moving." Garrus clarified. This was enough for Shepard and he stepped away. "Since when did you start calling yourself 'Archangel'?" John inquired, giving Garrus the squinted look again. "It's just a name the locals gave me, for all my good deeds." He answered. "I don't mind it but… please, it's just Garrus to you." He added, clearing his throat and looking at Shepard's squadmates. "Well, we got here, but I don't think getting out will be as easy." John finally said. Garrus picked up his rifle and stood. "No, it won't, that bridge has saved my life, funneling all those witless idiots into scope. But, it works both ways. They'll slaughter us if we try to get out that way." Garrus explicated. "So what, are we just going to camp here until we run out of thermal clips?" Eleria asked angrily. "It's not all that bad! This place has held them off so far, and with the three of you… I suggest we hold this location, wait for a crack in their defenses, and take our chances, it's not a perfect plan… but it's a plan!" Garrus added. "How'd you let yourself get into this position?" John asked with a smirk and a chuckle. "My feelings got in the way of my better judgment. I'll make you a deal. You get me out of here alive, and I'll tell you the whole damn thing." Garrus replied. "I didn't like sneaking anyway; time to spill a little merc blood." John grinned. "Huh, that was different… not very 'paragon' of you… but I like your enthusiasm. Now, let's see what they are up to…" Garrus mumbled, going to his sniping perch and scoping out a wave of LOKI mechs that were inbound. "Looks like they know their infiltration team failed. Take a look, Eclipse, I think." Garrus said, passing the Sniper to Shepard. He looked into the scope and pulled the trigger on an unlucky LOKI. "More than scouts … one less now." John said, giving Garrus his rifle.  
"Indeed. We better get ready, I'll stay up here. I can do a lot of damage from this vantage point. You, you can do what you do best, just like old times Shepard." Garrus said with a small smile. Shepard nodded. "Kairee, Eleria, I'm heading down to deal with them myself. I am a Vanguard, so I can draw their fire. Kairee, you are an Infiltrator, no? Garrus could use another sniper. Eleria, as a Sentinel, I'll need some cover fire." John ordered before bullets began flying into the room. Shepard leapt off the balcony and charged straight into a LOKI mech with a Rocket Launcher. Eleria ran in from behind and provided cover with her Biotics, and occasionally overloaded LOKI shields. The Eclipse footsoldiers came in weakly, but advanced in strength over time.

"So, I never got your name." Garrus said from his sniping point, picking off a few LOKI mechs. Kairee crouched down for cover and looked at him. As she gestured for him to wait, Kairee stood up, and quickly lined up a shot and fired, killing two Eclipse Mercenaries with one bullet. Garrus just sat there, shocked. "The name is Antar… Kairee Antar." Kairee said, crouching back down. Garrus snickered at her, regardless of the impressiveness of the shot. "You'd have to do better to beat my record, Ms. Antar." Garrus said as he raised his rifle, and without looking, fired a shot into another Merc.

"GARRUS I'M NOT PLAYING AROUND!" Shepard screamed as the bullet whizzed past his head and into the Mercenary he was holding up. Shepard dropped him on the ground and sent a biotic shockwave into a LOKI, causing it to fly into the air and bowl over a group of living mercenaries, before exploding and making said mercenaries not as living. "Ooh, the dreaded 7-10 split!" Garrus teased when he saw two mercs who had leapt away from the mech. Shepard laughed sarcastically and created a biotic singularity in between both of them, before proceeding to pick them both off with his Assault Rifle. "You were saying?" John taunted, looking back at Garrus with a devious smile. Suddenly, an Eclipse Heavy Trooper fired a missile at Shepard while he was out of cover and exploded in front of him, throwing him back a few feet and draining his barrier. "Quick! Do a Barrel Roll!" Eleria shouted as she jumped in front of him and impulsively warped the Trooper, causing her to disintegrate where she stood. John rolled on his side and, thankfully, ended up behind some crates and away from fire. "Thanks, I owe you one." He said, letting his shields recharge.  
The Salarian Officer of the Eclipse Mercenaries, Jaroth, approached the bridge. "If you want something done properly…" he muttered, before using his communicator to call in an YMIR Mech. "Go!" He cried, and the YMIR began to "unfold" and assume a combat stance. "Crap, my gun!" Shepard shouts when he sees that his assault rifle is lying on the ground across from the bridge. "They're bringing out the Heavy Mechs!" Garrus warned, trying to get a shot on Jaroth and missing only by a margin. "This problem should take care of itself." Kairee said, smirking. "Huh?" said Garrus, who had put down his rifle to eye Kairee suspiciously. Suddenly, the YMIR mech began to twitch, spinning around 180 and aiming it's weaponry at the other Eclipse Mercenaries on the Bridge. "What's going on with this blasted piece of…?" One tried to say before being swept off of the bridge by a swing of the YMIR's "arms". "Alright, fall back, get some Thermal Clips and prepare for this next wave." John Shepard ordered as Garrus and Kairee ducked into cover and set down their guns. Eleria, however, did not seem to want to follow orders. Jaroth had equipped an M6 Carnifex and set up a Combat Drone. He was attempting to hack the YMIR back to its original programming. "Oh, no you don't!" she yelled, dashing away from Shepard and flicking her wrist to reveal the hidden blade. "Backup! Backup!" Jaroth shouted, firing a round from his Carnifex. Eleria winced as her shields were struck, but she lunged on top of Jaroth and assassinated him in one fell swoop. "Novice, get back here!" Kairee roared, picking up her gun and hastily firing at Jaroth's, now unnecessary, reinforcements before a small alarm sounded and smoke whistled out of the ventilation on the Sniper Rifle. "Spirits, I've overheated!" she announces, throwing the gun down and reaching for her pistol. Eleria was outnumbered and outgunned. A trooper grabbed his combat knife and slashed at the young Novice, causing her to spring back and throw a singularity at her opponent's face. He, along with his allies, began to float midair as gravity became meaningless. Eleria stood up and shot each Trooper as they dangled helplessly with her M4 Shuriken.

That was the end of the Eclipse Wave.  
"What was that, Novice!?" Kairee boomed as Eleria reentered the living room. Eleria scowled at Kairee insubordinately. "I saw a chance and I took it. Jaroth won't be an issue for us anymore". Garrus nodded in approval. "Thank you, Eleria. I've been hunting him for months." He stated with a grin. "Jaroth… Wait, wasn't he the little troll who's been shipping tainted Element Zero into the Citadel?" Kairee asked, snapping her fingers in realization. Garrus nodded in response. "Half the goods I seized back at C-Sec came from his team on Omega. I took out a big shipment a while back and killed his top lieutenant in the process." He added.

"We've still got Blood Pack and Blue Suns left. Think we can make a break for it?" John questioned calmly. "Maybe, let's see what they're up to." Garrus answered vaguely, walking to his balcony. He used his visor to study the barricades. "They reinforced the other side, heavily, but they're not coming over the bridge yet. What are they waiting for…?" Garrus pondered out loud as an explosion was heard behind them, muffled from distance and the walls.

"Goddess, what was that?" Eleria asked, looking around. "Damn it, they breached the lower level… Well they had to use their brains eventually. You'd better get down there, Shepard", was Garrus' warning. "I didn't come all this way just to see you die, Garrus. We should split up two and two. Keep one of my team here!" John responded, gesturing to Kairee and Eleria. "You sure, who knows what you'll find down there?" Garrus asked, looking past Shepard to the downstairs portion of the apartment. "Eleria, stay with Garrus. He'll need your Biotics and skill with your new Hidden Blade." John ordered, pointing to the ground. Eleria stood up and nodded, "Aye".  
"How do I get to the basement?" John asked with a casual shrug. Garrus pointed past and spoke, "Go down a level. The Basement Door is on the west side of the main room, behind the stairs. I'll radio directions if you need help, but you've gotta get down there quick!" Garrus explained.

Shepard and Kairee left and went down to the basement, where they discovered Garrus' cache of weapons. "Ha! I love you Garrus." John thought aloud as he picked up an M23a Katana Shotgun from a weapon's bench. Kairee decided to take a Phaeston Assault Rifle in case things got hairy and her semi-auto weapons wouldn't cut it.

"Get to the console and close that shutter before they can get through!" Garrus clarified over the radio. John made a run to the console as a wave of Blood Pack approached. "Watch out!" Kairee barked, using her assault rifle to pick off a Blood Pack Krogan who was trying to rush Shepard. "Shutter Secured" said a computerized voice over the intercom. "There are two more shutters, get them closed, fast!" Garrus reminded the two. John opened the door into the next room, a larger space that could function as a warehouse. "Vorcha inbound!" Kairee cautioned, switching to her Pistol. "I'm going to strike from above, stay down here and draw their fire!" she added, running up a support beam to the ceiling. Shepard, at the cost of some shielding, ran right into the center of a medium-sized pack of Vorcha and let loose a Biotic Nova, sending them careening through the air. The leader of the group, a Krogan, staggered back with a roar and was Silenced as Kairee, who was hanging from the wires that cluttered the ceiling, dropped down and landed feet first on the Krogan Warrior's head, making him lose balance, and fall forwards, landing on his face. "Your deeds condemn you, rest in peace." Kairee called, shooting the Krogan in the head with her pistol. "Silent and Deadly…" John muttered. He was still unused to seeing people do the whole jumping off of things and surviving deal. Now that this area was cleared, John went to the console and slammed the shutter tightly as Kairee offered cover fire. "Only one more Shutter." called Kairee.

The deadly duo sprinted through the facility to find the next room, which was more of a corridor, with little resistance from the Blood Pack. The Shutter was closed in less time than the other two.

"Get back here, Shepard, they're coming in through the doors!" warned Garrus, as a welder began cutting through the basement door. Garm, the Blood Pack Officer, came in with a team of Vorcha. "Bah! Rip them to shreds!" he demanded as a Vorcha on his left was sniped in the head. Garm looked up to see Garrus smiling as he cooled off his rifle. "Watch my back, I'll deal with Archangel." Garm said to his team. This time, another Vorcha was killed by Shepard himself, who had used his own pistol to subdue him. John Shepard would then biotic-charge into two Vorcha, picking them off with quick bursts of his M23 Katana, before turning his attention to Garm. "Cover me! I'm going after the leader!" shouted John, and Garrus yelled back to him. "Don't worry about him, I'll handle it! You just take out his backup!" John did as he was told and leapt back down to fight more Vorcha, and the occasional Krogan.

Garm approached Garrus and sat on the Sofa as the battle raged downstairs. "Archangel…" he said, nodding. "Garm…" Garrus replied, scowling. "I've waited a long time to put you down. Every life lost was worth getting this far." Garm chuckled. "So we finish this now?" Garrus asked, setting down his rifle. "So 'I' finish this now." Garm "corrected", standing back up and charging at Garrus. "For the Blood Pack!" he roared. Garrus swiftly scooped up his rifle and smacked Garm across the face with it, staggering him and making him even angrier. Garm delivered a punch to Garrus' chest and his shields lit up as he doubled over. A quick kick to the head caused Garrus to hit the wall beside them and drop his rifle. "Been practicing, haven't you?" Garrus asked, blocking a jab, his leg rocketing upwards, between Garm's legs. Garm cried out and fell backwards, incapacitated. The gunshots downstairs had ended. That's good, because that means the fight there was over. Kairee and Shepard soon arrived at Garrus' location. "Care to do the honors?" he asked John. "I'll let Kairee take this one." He said, scratching the back of his neck. Kairee stepped up to Garm and kneeled over him. "A real shame, too… you were this close…" she giggled, shaking her head and raising her fist. Her hidden blade popped out of the wrist armor. "You are entitled to the right of final words." She reminded Garm. "Bested by the likes of a squishy human and two TURIANS… I am… pathetic…" he sighed, closing his eyes. "Rest in Peace." Kairee whispered, and her fist came down on Garm. The deed was done.  
"Thanks, everyone, they hardly got through to me." Garrus said in gratitude. "And we took out Garm and his Blood Pack. This day just keeps getting better and better!" he added. "Only the Blue Suns are left. I say we take our chances and fight our way out." John suggests. "I think you're right. Tarak's got the toughest group, but it's nothing we haven't faced before. "Besides, he won't be expecting us to meet him head on and…" Garrus continued before being cut off by shattering glass. The Gunship was functioning! Not very well it would seem, as it kept bobbing back and forth, struggling to keep in a straight line. "I thought I took that thing out already!" Garrus whined. "They fixed it, but not completely. I made sure of that." John replied.

"They're offloading troops, watch your back!" Garrus advised as a Blue Sun trooper came in through the smashed window packing a Shotgun. Eleria shock waved that soldier out of the window, to her death. Suddenly, Blue Suns Commander Jentha steps off the Gunship and throws a Frag Grenade, splitting the team up. She picks up her Assault Rifle and joins in the firefight. "Get down!" John screamed as Jentha fired her gun for what felt like an eternity. "What kind of Heat Sink is she using?!" Kairee asked in total bewilderment as Jentha reached for a Thermal Clip. "Not so fast!" cried John as he stood up and began shooting at Jentha. He successfully depleted her shields and Kairee took a shot with her Sniper Rifle, damaging her armor severely. Again John attacked, warping Jentha and causing her to fly out of the window, disintegrating as she fell. John, Kairee, and Eleria left to handle the Blue Suns who had entered the building through the lower levels. "God, they have Rockets, get back!" John ordered as a Heavy Trooper fired a missile that flew right past his ear. Kairee switched to her M11 Suppressor Pistol and jumped over the railing, down to the lower level. John lured a large group towards him, and let loose a biotic Nova, decimating the Blue Suns in the vicinity. The three swiftly defeated the hostile mercenaries before heading upstairs once more.

The gunship flew up to a window, and Tarak's voice was heard. "Archangel!" he roared, and Garrus aimed at the gunship, only to be riddled with bullets from its machine guns. His armor and shields kept him alive to crawl into cover. "You think you can screw with the Blue Suns!?" Tarak shouted gleefully. "This ends now!" he added as Garrus rolled out of cover. A missile was launched. It appeared to have exploded in Garrus' face, knocking him back onto the floor. "Garrus…" said John Shepard, taking immediate action and diving into cover behind a couch. The gunship was still looming outside the window. "Kairee…" John said, looking up from cover. "Yes Commander, what is it?" Kairee asked, crouching next to John. "I'm about to do something, really… really… stupid." He declared, his biotics activating and making his body glow blue. "Oh Spirits No." Kairee muttered as John ripped her sniper rifle from her and lined up a shot. "I'm not too sure how to do this…" he admitted, pulling the trigger. He must have had great timing, because the bullet passed through the windshield of the gunship and struck The Pilot, presumably Tarak, square in the head, knocking him backwards and causing the gunship to spiral out of control. John sighed and handed the rifle back to Kairee without another word. His eyes fell on Garrus, and his energy came rushing back to him as he scrambled to his old friend's side. "God, NO, Garrus!" he shouted. Garrus was bleeding heavily. His left eye opened and he reached for his sniper rifle, gasping for air. "We're getting you out of here, Garrus. Just hold on!" he added, his face embodying his #1 emotion at the time: Concern. Garrus could only manage a bloody gurgle that would make one cringe. "I don't think he'll make it…" Kairee murmured. John glared angrily at her. "Radio Joker, make sure their ready for us!" he orders. Kairee stands up and activates her communicator.

**The Normandy SR2, 2185**  
A shuttle from the Normandy returns to the ship and lands. Immediately after the doors open, John and Eleria rush out, carrying Garrus with them. He is placed on a stretcher that the Med-Bay prepared in advance, and wheeled up. Jane Shepard runs into them on the way there, and one look at Garrus smashes her heart. He looks up at her pitifully, like a kicked puppy, as he realizes who she is. Jane cups her hands over her mouth. "Archangel… is Garrus?" she murmurs to herself. Alexander is sitting down across the room, tying a raw steak to his face. "Thanks, Rupert…" he says as the Ship's Cook, Rupert Gardner, ties the knot tight. "No problem!" Gardner says, walking off. Alexander gets up and approaches Jane. "You knew him?" he asks. "Garrus Vakarian…" Jane replies quietly. "Garrus, the C-Sec officer, right?" was another question. Jane nodded and stood in silent contemplation.

((Later on))

"Commander", Jacob Taylor said. "We've done what we could for Garrus, but he took a bad hit. The Doctors corrected it with some surgical procedures and some cybernetics, best we can tell, he'll have full-functionality but…" he added as the door opened. Garrus stood there. His armor was badly damaged, and a chip was taken out of the collar and right shoulder. Worst of all… was his face. Almost the entire right side was scarred terribly, and a cloth-like brace was tied to it to hold it together. "Shepard…" he said, trying to smile. John returned it happily. "Didn't think he'd be up yet…" murmured Jacob.  
"Nobody would give me a mirror… how bad is it?" Garrus asked. John snickered. "Hell, Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some face-paint on there, and no one will even notice." He said with the smile. Garrus and John were known to mess with each other on occasion, so this was no shock nor painful to Garrus' self-esteem. He was fine with it. Garrus tried to laugh. "Aw, Oh… Don't make me laugh, damn, my face is barely holding together as it is." he replied. "Ah, it was probably for the best. Everyone was always ignoring you and hitting on me, time for you to get a fair shot at it." Garrus fired back. Shepard looked down, grinning even more. Jacob silently saluted and walked off.

"Frankly, I'm more worried about you. Cerberus, Shepard…" Garrus began. "Do you remember those sick experiments they were doing?" he asked, annoyed. "That's why I'm glad you're here, Garrus. If I'm walking into Hell, I want someone I trust at my side." John answered. That smile never went away… "You realize this plan has me walking into hell, too. Hah, just like old times." Garrus chuckled. "I'm fit for duty whenever you need me, Shepard. I'll settle in and see what I can do at the forward Batteries." He adds before turning around and leaving.

Garrus had stopped in his quarters to check out his room, when the door had opened behind him. Standing there was Jane Shepard. "Garrus… so it's really you?" she asked. "Who else would it be?" he replied. Jane walked into his quarters and looked around. It wasn't like the Captain's Cabin. It was much smaller; however it was still nicer than what one would expect. Vital members of the crew, such as Garrus, or Mordin Solus, were presented with smaller cabins. There were at least 20 on the Crew Deck, the rest were bunkrooms for minor crewmen. There was talk of joining a few rooms together to create an "Assassin's Wing", and that's why Alexander's, Kairee's, Frederico's, Lora's, and Eleria's rooms were all on the same side, and next to each other. Everyone on the Ship knew who they were by now, but only the most trusted of Crewmembers knew of their allegiance. Besides, Alexander couldn't shut up about The Brotherhood whenever someone asked what he and his friends were always wearing in their downtime (The Assassin Robes similar to Altair's robes, and Ezio's Roman Attire).

((Author's Note: Essentially all characters with NAMES know about the Assassins. Like Zach Matthews, Rupert Gardner, Kenneth and Gabby, and all squadmates. Those nameless, random crew-trolls strewn about the ship are oblivious to the Templars and Assassins. This way, I can integrate them into the normal story and it's branching stories without constantly worrying about keeping secrets from our favorite characters ^_^))

Getting back to Garrus… "You were Archangel?" inquired Jane, while she walked further into the room and up to Garrus, eyeing his scar. "Mmhm. It's great to see you again, Jane." Garrus stated, wrapping his arms around Jane. She returned the hug. "I… saw when you were wheeled in… are you ok? How is your mandible?" she asks repeatedly, running the questions together worriedly. "Ah, it's just a flesh wound…" Garrus smirked. Jane rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. "Good to have you back." she said, crossing her arms. Garrus nodded back to her. "Good to be back, Jane. I'm just unpacking what little I can, and checking out what I do have in here… Nice cabins. It could use a bathroom, though… crewmen have been giving me this weird look since I got on this ship, so using a public restroom is a bit awkward to say the very least."

"So, what's with the new guys? You know, the one's NOT with Cerberus." Garrus asked, tilting his head. "The Krogan's name is 'Grunt'. He's a tank-bred. Warlord Okeer made him. The Salarian scientist is Mordin Solus. Kind, Intelligent, but has a tendency to think out loud, all the time." Jane began, introducing each team-member one by one. "The crazy chick is Jack. Cerberus kidnapped her as a baby, experimented on her. They made her into a psychotic biotic."

"Then of course, the two John went with to pick you up. Kairee Antar and Eleria T'Geya are both… mercenaries… so is Alexander Clarke, their leader. Two others are with us; Frederico Corado and Lora Ban. Lora is a Volus, just FYI." Said Jane and Garrus crossed his own arms. "Really… Cerberus is so desperate as to let a Volus onboard?" Garrus sighed. "Tell me what's really going on, Jane". Jane swept her hair out of her eyes. "God, where do I begin? So, Alex, Kairee, Fred, Lora, and Eleria are all part of this Brotherhood. They are the Guardians of Free Will, called 'The Assassins'. There is no real way to explain this other than to tell you flat-out. A year after John got spaced, I was recruited to join, and I took the offer. That's why I'm here right now. The Order of The Knights Templar is the other side of the coin. They want Free Will destroyed so that they can control every aspect of life, and in doing so, create peace, but it's a peace not worth living in. Freedom of Expression and creativity will be gone, and the beauty of life and the galaxy will fade away into nothing more than a little-spoken legend." Jane rambled. Garrus gave her a look like she was crazy, but eventually he just shook his head and sighed. "Jane, I believe you We all get ourselves into some crazy things, I mean, I was just on Omega fighting three major Mercenary Organizations,and suddenly John comes back from the dead thanks to some Terrorists with a little extra pocket change. Trust me, I know, and I wouldn't doubt that there would be an Order dedicated to this sort of thing... but just let me adjust to all of that, alright? I'll ask this 'Alexander' character about it all. Besides, I took a rocket to the head today, and the scar is fresh. I just need to relax, and unwind."

Jane smiled and nodded. They changed the subject to current events and just talked for a long while…

Alexander was in the Port Observation deck, and had gotten rid of the steak-remedy. Dr. Chakwas had helped his eye make a speedy recovery, but it wasn't complete. The Steak was just an emergency treatment because the Doctors needed to focus on Garrus for the time being. He was looking out at the stars in space, just contemplating recent events. Perfect timing: The door opened to reveal Kairee in her standard white robes. "Hello, Alex." she said, waving a little. Alexander said nothing, and she walked forwards to see what the matter was. "Kairee, did that kiss mean anything?" Alex inquired, rather forwardly. Kairee blushed, causing her face to turn a bright blue (Turians have naturally blue blood when oxygenized). "Uh, um…"

"You kissed me on the cheek, earlier on Omega. Did it mean anything to you, personally?" he asked again. Kairee stared straight at him but could not find the words. "I-I-I guess it, sort of did…" she said slowly and shyly. She never let this side of her show very often, and kept it well-concealed underneath her professional attitude. "Did it mean anything to you?" she asked in return, shrugging. Alex stood, watching as a star in the far, far distance went supernova. It appeared as the small star-dot, and then it "popped", becoming larger. A bright, bright blue coloration was clearly visible. "What are you implying?" Alexander finally said, rather stoically. In truth, he was as nervous as she was right now. "Well, I mean, we've known each other for so long, and we've gotten to know each other so well… I…" said Kairee in a hushed voice. "I understand, and I feel the same way, but I would like to think about this, first. A lot has been happening lately. I want to try to acclimate to being on the Normandy before getting caught up in something else." replied Alex. "I'm sorry, please, just… give me some time." He added. Emotionally he felt like he was coming apart at the seams, but he had to remain serious. This was too fast.  
Kairee nodded silently and took her leave, a tear rolling down her face. Alexander shut his eyes. He felt a lump in his throat and a myriad of emotions.

Not yet, he thought.

Not yet…

**((When things get bloody I have to add comic relief. I dunno why I just do :P... Anyways, thanks for reading this chapter :D))**


	4. Over the Horizon

**((A/N: This is where we leave the Acclimation Stage. Still bumpy though. I tried to smooth things out. SPOILER: Kaidan and Ashley are both still alive in this story. I didn't feel like playing favorites (Brace for #Shenko rage), and I figured it'd be *sweet* if I could do this considering that with Save Editors you can bring Ashley AND Kaidan to the same squad in ME3. No conflict issues in combat although HUBs tend to bug out :P))**

**Normandy SR2, 2185**  
Deep Space… The Normandy SR2 stops in orbit of a remote planet to send out mining Probes… one, two, three probes away, collecting minerals and resources. A lucky find: Element Zero, or "eezo".

Commander John Shepard oversees the launching of the probes, and behind him, Eleria T'Geya. She bows respectfully and looks over at the panel. A display of the planet and the probes being sent is visible under John's vigilant gaze. "I think we've mined this planet enough, sir." States Eleria, annoyed as she hears another probe being sent. John nods and backs away from the panel. Yeoman Kelly Chambers lifts her hand after her console pings.

"The Illusive Man has a message for you." She says, looking at John. He exhales in irritation and thanks Kelly.

"I'll be in the briefing room, if anyone needs me." John muttered, walking off. He received a ping on his Omni-Tool. He was wanted in the Armory. Another Ping: he was being summoned to the Laboratory. Yet ANOTHER ping and Dr. Chakwas asked him to stop by the Med-Bay. Shepard hit his head on the elevator door and called it up. He walked into the elevator, and bumped into something in the middle of it. He looked down and sees that "something" was actually "someone". Lora Ban, the Volus Engineer was standing in the center of the lift.

"-Hhkkt-, Commander." Lora said, taking a deep breath. Shepard nodded and stood next to her. She nudged him in the leg and he sighed, looking down at her again. "-Hhkkt-, Frederico and I, -Hhkkt-, finished a prototype of our, -Hhkkt-, Hidden Blade." She declared proudly, staring up at Shepard. She reached into a bag and pulled out a piece of modular wrist armor. She tossed it up to Shepard, and he caught it, putting it over his arm, and flicking his wrist. A short, sharp, shining blade slid out of the bracer. Sparks flew from the bottom of the blade, smoking a bit before an electrical charge burst forth from the bracer. Attracted to the metal of the blade, it bounced back and forth like the plasma inside of one of those Plasma Lamps. (The kind you put your fingers on and the plasma follows you.)

"We noticed that you did not, -Hhkkt- have a Hidden Blade of your own. So, -Hhkkt-, we want you to test it out." Lora explained, gesturing with her hands while she spoke, a habit of hers whenever she spoke about something that interested her.

"Thank you, Lora." John said in gratitude, and they both exchanged Assassin-Style bows. The Elevator stopped where John wanted to go, and the two stepped off. John made his way to the Armory to see it filled with smoke. Frederico Corado is running around in a panic as a very angry Jacob Taylor chases after him, his face covered in something black, like soot.

"Get back here you Portuguese _tribufu!*_" Jacob screams. Frederico rolls over a table again and yelps. "How dare you… I'm not even a woman!" he says, eyes wide as he ducks under a biotic punch. "You're running like one!" Jacob barks.  
***Tribufu is a derogatory term meaning "Ugly Woman". Jacob had used the wrong word, but God bless him, he tried **

"That's my boyfriend…" Lora muttered as she puts a hand to her face as Shepard shakes his head, getting in between the two. He drags Jacob away from Frederico. Jacob claws at the air, trying to get away from John.

"What is the matter with you two!?" John shouts, slapping Jacob in the face. Jacob rubs his cheek.

"I swear to GOD that man is the ultimate Pyromaniac! That dark spot on the table was a Hidden Blade, Shepard. I turn my back for one moment, and a piece of metal lights on fire like it was fricking _firewood_. I turn back around and it blows up in my face." Jacob explains, flashing back to a scene where he had his back turned to pick up a tool from the counter, then turning back around, eyes bulging as a black mushroom cloud flies out of the metal bracer before him. The smoke covered his face in soot, and Frederico had returned with some more supplies and blueprints when Jacob roared.

Back to the present, John pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at Frederico. "You set metal on fire and you weren't even there to even look at it?"

Frederico blushed in embarrassment and stared at the dark spot on the table. He shrugged nonchalantly, but Shepard didn't buy it. "Clean this mess up, and the Prototype I'm wearing better not turn me into a human torch. We clear?" John orders, and Frederico salutes. "And Jacob, for attacking Frederico, you'll be helping Rupert plunge the toilets." John said with a smirk. And If Mass Effect was an anime (not Paragon Lost…); Jacob would have sweat-dropped.

Next step on the to-do list was the Laboratory. Mordin Solus was staring at a fish tank that held a Collector Seeker, one of the Collectors' little friends. The Seekers would swarm like a bunch of hiveless wasps, and upon being stung you had two seconds to get into the pose you wanted to be frozen in, because that's exactly what would happen.

"Ah, Shepard, I must thank you for acquiring the Seeker, though… unsure as to how you did." Mordin said with a smile. "I've been thinking of some ideas on how to combat Seekers in the field. Armor Upgrades are most likely. Could potentially alter shields to act as 'bug zapper', no, no, no, confuse detection. A work in progress! Return here shortly. I'll give you further information!"

John nodded at the Salarian. "Anything else you need from me?" he asked.

"Just a reminder… Positive thoughts, Shepard! Garrus spoke with me. Told me you were condescending during his recruitment. Scars will only worsen with negative thoughts." Mordin replied, pointing to his head. John smiled and mouthed, "I know."

John left the Lab and proceeded to the Med Bay. This errand was generally uneventful, simply Dr. Chakwas talking to him about Garrus. He was ready for Combat, now, and could be taken along next time the squad went groundside. John walked to the Briefing Room. He pressed a button on a console in the table and the entire table lowered into the floor. John stepped on top and orange lasers began scanning his body. The Illusive Man was calling.

"Shepard, I think we have them. Horizon, one of our colonies in the Terminus Systems just went silent. If it isn't under attack, it soon will be. Has Mordin delivered the counter-measure for the Seeker Swarms?" TIM began.

"Not yet…" Shepard said, tapping his foot rather impatiently.

"Well let's hope he works well under pressure." TIM chuckled, "There's something else you should know," TIM said, taking a puff of his cigarette. "Two of your former crew, Kaidan Alenko, and Ashley Williams were stationed on Horizon." TIM declared, and Shepard's eyes lit up.

"We should send a message to the Citadel. The Alliance can give us Reinforcements!" he said, matter-of-factly.

TIM gave a half-chuckle, half-scoff and tilted his head slightly, "Not until you investigate. I don't want The Alliance getting in our way. Once you have the situation under control, I'll send the message personally," he added.

"The Collectors just had to pick a Colony with my former crew and my girlfriend on it? I don't buy it." John said angrily.

"It shouldn't be a surprise that the Collectors are interested in you," TIM replied, "Especially if they are working for the Reapers. They might be going after them to get to you."

"Last I knew, they were Alliance, so what are they doing in the Terminus Systems?" John asked.

"Officially, it's an outreach program to improve Alliance relations with the colonies, but they're up to something, and if they send Kaidan and Ashley, it must be big." TIM answered, "I suggest you take it up with him."

"Send the coordinates, we'll head straight there." John stated, gesturing to TIM's chair.

"This is the most warning we've ever had, Shepard. Good luck!" TIM spoke sternly, eyeing Shepard. He hung up and spun around in his chair. He started digging around in some extranet files and found something interesting… Joker's Let's Play of SCP: Nightmare. He noticed that Joker had edited the description to say that he would definitely make more Let's Plays. TIM intended to use this resource to track down Shepard's "help" that was mentioned. TIM smiled wickedly.

**Horizon, Terminus Systems, 2185**  
The whole squad gathered in the briefing room to discuss the plan.

"Alright, our location: Horizon, Terminus Systems Human Colony. Communications went down recently, no signs of attack yet. We're a step ahead of The Collectors." John began, pulling up a holographic image of Horizon. "Garrus, I'm sure you'll like to hear this: Kaidan and Ashley were both stationed here in an Outreach Program. This makes our fight personal." John continued, and sure enough, Garrus cracked a smile and looked straight at him. Alexander Clarke raised his hand and cleared his throat.

"Ahem, If I may?" he asked. John crossed his arms and nodded, "The Assassins acquired and forwarded me some very interesting information regarding Horizon and your friends' deployments. Recently, GARDIAN laser turrets were installed planet-side. Do you think we could use the firepower if this whole operation goes to Hell in a Handbag?" Alex explained. Kairee and Eleria looked at him oddly.

"Hell in a Hand Bag?" they asked simultaneously.

"Old human saying: Hell, in a handbag… NO, not a bag full of hands, A Handbag is essentially a purse." Frederico explained, and Eleria nodded approvingly.

"Anyways," John interrupted, giving Frederico and Eleria stern looks, "I agree with Alexander. We'll send a team to investigate the guns. See if they are working or not. If the latter applies, fix the problem and turn them on the Collector's cruiser, because I got a score to settle," John grinned.

"Dang, son…" Alexander chuckled, "You really are tough. The Collectors literally KILL you and all it did was made you angry!"

Shepard gave a quick half nod in approval, seeming to like that phrase. "Alright, we're a little short on engineers; thank God we have Lora Ban." John said, gesturing to the Volus, who was spinning in her chair casually. She looked up and waved at Shepard innocently. "Lora, take a group of people to the GARDIAN turrets and investigate. You get to choose," John said. Lora smiled under her mask and looked around the room.

Her eyes fell on Frederico instantly and he smiled at her. She pointed to Grunt, saying that she needed the Firepower. "I'll also take… Ms. Goto for this one." She said finally, looking at the hooded Master Thief. She bowed graciously and immediately cloaked, becoming invisible.

"Jane, take a group to find Kaidan and Ash." John said with a smile, and his sister saluted him. "I'll bring a small team along to get some answers about what the Collectors want with the Humans." He added, instantly pointing to Garrus and Mordin. They knew this meant "you're with me", and they smiled, bumping fists.

"You mind if I can take a bigger squad than usual? Things might get a little nasty out there." Jane asked, and John shrugged, indifferent. Jane smirked and looked at Alexander. "This time, the Disciple's in charge." She said deviously. Alexander's face went white. Normally he was the pushy professional in charge. Jane looked about the briefing room. "Zaeed, Miranda, and… heck, why not, Jacob!" she said, gesturing to the three standing in a row. Jacob did a fist pump; finally he was allowed to go somewhere!

**John, Mordin, and Garrus: Kicking Thorax and Collecting* names**  
**((*If you got the joke, you get a free cookie! :3))**

On Horizon, Ashley Williams was speaking to a Colonist. "Lilith, we've got a problem."

"Still can't calibrate the targeting matrix?" Lilith replied dryly.

"Those defense towers are useless if we don't figure it out!" Ashley muttered.

"Sorry, Commander, getting our Comms system back online takes priority." Lilith said.

"Yeah, okay," Ashley said, rolling her eyes, "Surprised people haven't tried to blame THAT one on me, too," she added sarcastically.

"The people here don't trust the Alliance. It's nothing personal." Lilith said, consoling Ashley. The two hear a strange noise and look up to see a massive ship descending from the clouds. "What is that!?" Lilith asks in bewilderment as Ashley grabbed her Assault Rifle, aiming it to the clouds. The Collector Cruiser becomes clearly visible and deployed dozens upon dozens of Seeker Swarms. Entire clouds of Seekers take flight, heading down to the surface quickly. "Get everyone to the safe house!" Ashley ordered, and the Colonists began running. "I'll cover you! Just run!" Ashley added as colonists began screaming in terror. Ashley fired several shots of her rifle in an attempt to slow the Seekers down. Lilith tripped over as she turned to run, and Ashley helped her up. A Seeker lands on her neck and stings it, causing Ashley to shout in pain. She rips it off her neck and looks at it, before running forwards… only to be frozen solid, surrounded by an orange energy, with a black smoke surrounding her. "What in the actual…" Ashley thought as she tried to move. She felt the sensation of muscles working, but her body refused to move at all, only her eyes could dart around worriedly.

Many other colonists are paralyzed by the Seekers until Lilith falls over. A Seeker lands on her chest and stings her. She rolls over in pain and is paralyzed on the spot. Horrified, she watches as another colonist is stung as he falls over a railing.

Eventually the Collectors themselves make a surprise appearance. They are brown and brick red, with four, white, featureless eyes and an insect-like head and body. They bear armor and weaponry made entirely out of organic-synthetic chitin.

Onboard the Collector Cruiser, a large, crab-like monster with glowing, golden eyes crawled towards a large console. A deep, intimidating, robotic voice declared, "Assuming Control," as the monster's eyes ignited, sending telepathic signals to a Collector Foot Soldier on Horizon's surface, causing it to hover in the air as cracks formed in the chitin, illuminated with red, fiery energy. Its eyes glowed with that golden color as this particular Collector finished the transformation, landing back on the ground and staring down at Lilith. "We are the Harbinger of their perfection," said the Collector, "Prepare these humans for ascension," Harbinger said as it lifted the Collector's arms like a stereotypical Baptist preacher. A Collector besides him bends down and picks Lilith up, throwing her into a pod and sending it to the Cruiser.

A Shuttle from the Normandy reaches the surface and drops off John Shepard, Mordin Solus, and Garrus Vakarian. "Alright, we're groundside," John said, stating the obvious, "Mordin, you sure these Armor Upgrades will protect us from the Seeker Swarms?" he asked.

"Certainty Impossible," Mordin said, "but in limited numbers, should confuse detection, make us invisible to swarms… in theory." Mordin mutters, raising his pistol in the air and following Shepard.

"In theory, that sounds promising," Garrus replies sarcastically.

"Experimental Technology," Mordin said to reinforce his argument, "would have to test them on Seeker Swarms, and would have to test them in person." Mordin sniffs deeply, "Should be exciting." He adds, smiling. Collector forces drop down and secure their immediate area, prompting the squad to take cover. John notes that one is straggling behind the others. A lone wolf in the pack!  
John remembers his new hidden blade, and puts his gun away. "Shepard, what are you doing!?" Garrus whispers across cover.

"I'm going to do this my sister's way, real quick." John responds as he jumps over cover and down the ramp. He hides behind a crate, and the Collector takes notice, walking over to scope things out. The Collector is literally right over Shepard, who instantly stands up, flicking his wrist and impaling the Collector in the face. His biotics activate, and his thrust is intensified. His entire fist is inside the Collector's head, puce-colored synthetic "blood" covered his arm. The electric shock kicks in, zapping the Collector and causing it to blast flying away from Shepard. He stood there, dumbfounded, in the same position, like a statue. "Did I do that?" he asked nobody in particular, his eyes bulging. He finally stood straight and "dusted off" his armor. The others took notice and opened fire on Shepard and his squad. Garrus brought out his Assault Rifle and Mordin switched to SMG.

John rushes towards the Collectors, stabbing them with his prototype blade, the faulty electric charge sending them flying an impressive distance. Even with this show of force, the Collectors were undeterred. "Before you start screaming 'Shock and Awe'…" Garrus quipped, standing over cover and putting a few bullets out.

John rolled his eyes and tripped a Collector with his hidden blade; again, the electric blast swept the Collector into the sky, doing cartwheels. It fell down on top of another Collector and Mordin used an incineration device to cook them.

"Commander, we're getting all… of interference… we … maintain… signal…" Joker called over the Comms.

"The Collectors are interfering with our communication." Garrus stated.

"We're on our own, now." Shepard replied, moving forwards.

More Collectors approached, keeping the team from marching forwards. John ran inside a nearby building and fired from inside. "SCOPED AND DROPPED!" Garrus roared in excitement, as he placed a Sniper Bullet in between a Collector's eyes. Mordin Incinerated the last Collector's barrier and John fired a shot, killing the monstrosity. The squad regrouped with the intent of marching onwards.

**Lora Ban, Frederico Corado, Kasumi Goto, and Grunt: GARDIAN Angels**  
Shortly after John left with his team, the Shuttle came back, and Lora's squad was elected to go next. "John will clear out an LZ on the surface. We land there and investigate the GARDIAN turrets. I've radioed Shepard; he's going straight for Ashley." Frederico announced, briefing the group.

The Shuttle dropped them off at Shepard's location; he had cleared an LZ for the four. "Lora, take your men and find out where the Turrets are and activate them, I'm going to find Ashley, and God forbid the Collectors got a hold of her."

Frederico nodded, his biotics flaring. With Lora besides him, and the Squad close behind, they took off running, and came across a large building. They decided to enter. "Company…" Grunt muttered, noticing that the brim of a person's hat was poking out of a corner in the distance. Grunt raised his Shotgun. "Get out here, NOW!" he roared. A male human in his 40s walked out of the corner with his hands raised in surrender.

"A… Krogan, and a Volus?" the man said, eyeing Grunt and Lora. "I know you two are human," he added, turning his stare to Frederico and Kasumi. "What're you doing out here, you lead them right here!" he barked to the Volus.

"-Hhkkt-, calm down sir, -Hhkkt-, Just be grateful you're not, -Hhkkt- in a Collector ship right now," Lora said, gesturing with her hands for the man to stop worrying. He looked down at her in disgust, but then he turned and considered something. "Those things are Collectors?" he asked, "You mean, they're real? I thought they were just made up, you know, propaganda, to keep us in Alliance Space… No, they got Lilith, I saw her go down, stunned, too! They got damned near everybody!" he said, turning back around.

"What's your name, what do you do, here?" Frederico asked.

"The name's Delan, Mechanic." Delan answered, "I came down here to check on the main grid after we lost our Comms signals, then I heard screaming... I looked outside and there were swarms of… bugs, everyone they touched just FROZE. I sealed the doors. ARGH, it's the Alliance's fault! They stationed those two soldiers here and built those defense towers, they made us a Target!" he ranted.

"Tell us about the defense towers," Kasumi said, stepping up.

"They were a 'gift' from The Alliance. High Powered GARDIAN Lasers, they were supposed to keep hostile ships from landing near the colony," Delan clarified, "They had to build a massive underground generator just to give it enough juice! Only, we couldn't get the targeting systems online!" he barked, "So the Alliance gave us a giant gun that couldn't shoot straight!"

"If you have defenses, we can use them against the Collector's Ship." Frederico affirmed, and Delan nodded.

"You'd need to calibrate the targeting system, first, it's never worked right!" he explained.

"I could –Hhkkt-, figure it out, hopefully, -Hhkkt- we just need the location, -Hhkkt-." Lora proclaimed, raising her arm in the air. "Okay, head for the main transmitter on the other side of the Colony," Delan said, gesturing to his right, "It's pretty hard to miss; the targeting controls are at the base."

"Stay here, and stay hidden, we clear?" Kasumi asked, looking Delan in the eyes. He eyed her back and shrugged, opening his Omnitool.

"That's what I was thinking, though I'm locking the door behind you. I'm NOT taking any chances!" he said.

There was a weapon's bench inside, and the crew stopped to take a look. Grunt and Kasumi kept their weapons, but Frederico picked up an M3 Predator pistol and holstered it, ready for action. He led the team outside and pinpointed the location of the Main Transmitter: It was within running distance. Excellent!

Suddenly, a small group of Husks, dead humans who had been impaled on Dragon's Teeth (Reaper Tech that drained organic fluid and replaced them with Cybernetics) began falling off of some railing; they struck the ground headfirst and piled on top of each other. Frederico moved forwards to get a better look, when a husk shot out from the pile and pinned him down. Frederico screamed and blasted the husk high into the sky with a biotic nova. He crawled off the ground and reached for his pistol. Lora stood over him with her SMG and mowed down a few husks. Kasumi cloaked and cut down two more with some knives. Grunt blasted one husk in the face with his shotgun, and the team regrouped. "We need to bring those Towers online. Let's go!" Frederico ordered.

**Jane Shepard, Jacob Taylor, Miranda Lawson, Alexander Clarke, and Zaeed Massanni: Search and Rescue**  
Jane's team was last to be deployed, the Shuttle dropped them off groundside.  
"Alright, our task is to find Kaidan and Ashley before the Collectors shove them aboard the Ship." Jane declared as she hopped off the shuttle, N7 Hurricanes in hand. Alexander walked up behind her.

"I admire your optimism in the face of tragedy," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She looked behind her, "You're the one who taught me, Clarke."

"Let's roll." Jacob said, walking off. The rest of the group followed after and were quickly met with resistance. Dozens of Collectors swarmed on their location, but they were ready. Alexander dashed into the heat of the action, cutting up Collectors with his hidden blade, leaping over them with his hookblade, and shooting them with his M11 Suppressor, all the while using his biotics to amplify the attack. Zaeed stood back and rained fire down at the Collectors with his Assault Rifle. Jacob charged in alongside Alexander and beat down countless Collectors with his biotics. Miranda and Jane fought at a distance, using biotics and tech, respectively, to combat the threat.

After proceeding through the colony, fighting too many Collectors to count, the squad of 5 chanced upon a building, with a lone human standing in the middle of the alley. "Kaidan, it's you!" Jane cried as she dug into a bag in her belt to find a syringe full of a bright, translucent blue liquid. "Anti-Venom of Seeker…" she said happily, injecting Kaidan in the neck with the syringe. Almost instantly, Kaidan fell forward, now able to move. He fell into Jane's arms and looked up.

"Shepard? Is that really you?" he asked in complete confusion. "It's been too long!" he cried out happily, embracing her. He looked up from the hug and saw the logos on Miranda and Jacob's uniforms. His eyes widened as he looked at Miranda and then to Jane, and he shoved her aside.

Jane scoffed and glared at Kaidan. "What was THAT!?" she asked, demanding an answer.

"What in God's Shining Galaxy are you doing working with CERBERUS, Jane?!" Kaidan roared, pointing rudely in Jacob's face.

Jane looked at Miranda and Jacob and realized she made a huge mistake bringing them. "Kaidan, let me explain!" she said, and Kaidan cut her off.

"There is no need to explain, Jane. You're working with those Terrorists! We both know what they are, what they are capable of! Two Years, Jane. TWO YEARS and you weren't the dead twin. Why didn't you ever call me, or go to talk to me at all!?" Kaidan demanded, and Jane felt the smallest she had ever felt in her life.

"When the Alliance disbanded the crew, you were so loyal to the Alliance, and so stressed about John's death, you didn't even speak to me! You were too wrapped up in making amends with the Alliance!" she cried, and Kaidan scoffed.

"At least I stayed with the Alliance! You abandoned us in our time of need, you let the Alliance disband us and then you resign. I don't hear from you for two years and now, you're with Cerberus!" Kaidan boomed.

"I'm not working for Cerberus! John is ALIVE, Kaidan! He's on the Planet right now fighting to save you and Ashley and figure out what the Collectors are doing here!" Jane shouted back.

"Explain those two, then, HUH?" Kaidan said, pointing to Jacob again, "I was dispatched here because the Alliance received a tip that Cerberus would attack Horizon, and I know about John. He's with Cerberus too. When I see him, I'm going to put him back to 'sleep' if you know what I mean."

Jane scoffed in disgust, "How can you even say that with a straight face, Kaidan?" she cried, "We need you, now, more than ever, and you are letting your hatred of Cerberus cloud your judgment! Kaidan, if you don't want to aid us in our fight against the Collectors, then don't do it for us, do it for Humanity!" she explained.

"You honestly think that I am going to turn my back on the Alliance when Colonies need them the most?" Kaidan asked, glaring at Jane.

Alexander's face twisted with anger, and he lunged forwards towards Kaidan, grabbing him by the throat, hidden blade poking his cheek but not stabbing him.

"Listen here, buddy, your girlfriend didn't come all this way to hear you run your bloody mouth about Cerberus!" he boomed in fury, "Believe me, 'Commander Alenko', I want to shove a sword FAR up the Illusive Man's ass as much as you do, maybe even more so than you," he added, he brought Kaidan's face close to his, and they were eye to eye, nose to nose, Kaidan stared into his blue eyes fearfully.

"But I am not the one kneeling down and kissing the "cheeks" of a band of bureaucrats!" Alex hissed at a whisper-tone; the venom in his tone is palpable. "I'm not the one raging on about how a woman refused to talk to me after I alienated her for doing something she had every right to do!" he said, pushing Kaidan away, he landed on his hind and stared up at the Assassin as he taunted him with a rude gesture of the arms.

"If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a chick ain't one." Alex called out, pointing at Kaidan, and Kaidan cursed in his mind. Jacob put a hand to his mouth, "Ouch." He murmured. Kaidan sat in the awkward silence for a minute and considered. Jane simply rolled her eyes but went with it. Jay-Z? Really, Alex? Regardless, it was pretty funny.

"Fine, you win. Just know that I'm not doing this for Cerberus," Kaidan said, surrendering.

Alexander helped him up. "The name is Alexander Clarke, my apologies for the lousy start," he said, shaking his hand. Kaidan stopped and looked into his eyes.

"The Alexander Clarke…?" Kaidan asked, shuddering.

"You know him?" Jane asked, shrugging.

"He… was an N7 Vanguard… discharged from Alliance. He was suspected murdering an officer… his name was Herman Martinez. No real evidence was found that *he* did it, so we couldn't pursue death penalty. The Alliance just threw him out for being the prime suspect. They didn't want to risk further issues with him." Kaidan murmured, walking backwards, "But I know he did it!"

Over the Comms, John Shepard's voice called out. "Guys, we found Ashley inside one of the Pods. We managed to intercept them before they shipped her off. She's alright, but a bit disoriented."

"We found Kaidan. The little Ingrate's mad that Cerberus is involved. Alexander talked him down." Jane sighed.

Kaidan's eyes lit up, "Can you patch me in?!" he asked, hands clasped together.

"You said you wanted to put him back to 'sleep' if you know what I mean," Jane smirked, and Kaidan's expression fell, "and by the way, Alenko, I think we need to start seeing other people," she added, and Kaidan's heart was shattered, but a part of him saw this coming. Rage boiled inside of him, but a frozen-cold glare from Alexander and he shuddered, standing down immediately.

**Reunion**  
"Jane, I'm going to go scout ahead!" Alexander said, alerting Jane of his absence. As Jane took the rest of the squad to the planned Extraction Point, Alexander looked around to find a way to aid Lora's team. He ran up the wall of a building and hooked onto a window, catapulting himself upwards onto the roof. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop for a bit until he stepped on some fragile plating, and the floor gave way below him. He collapsed and fell into a small, dark room, where he picked himself up out of the rubble and dusted himself off. He looked around and went to find a way out. As he came to the doorway, a grey, humanoid monster akin to a Zombie lunged out towards him, pushing him backwards until they both came to a window. Alexander cursed and fell back, shattering the window and going into freefall with the Husk on top, wrestling him, attempting to strangulate him. He flipped over and stabbed the husk in the eye with his hidden blade, landing perfectly without much damage. He left a shallow crater where he touched down, and he looked up. Dozens of husks had heard the noise and made their way to his location, groaning and hissing as they charged. Alexander waited until the last second to flip over a husk with his hookblade, flinging the beast into a group of reinforcements before whipping out his Pistol and beginning the firefight. When the pistol overheated, he dodged a wild swing from a husk and slashed it in the throat with his hookblade. The intensity of the attack increased as time went on, and eventually Alexander was overcome. The Husks dog-piled him, trying to rip into his shields and armor. A bang was heard, and the Husks began floating away. Someone had thrown a lift grenade his way, but who?

Standing on the rooftops was Kairee Antar, who had gone to extract Lora's team. "Need a hand?" she asked.

"-Hhkkt- Or maybe you need 10?*" Lora added, clutching a Reegar Carbine tightly. Kairee lined up several shots and picked off the floating husks, before jumping down, off the building and using shielding to cushion the fall. The others soon followed, though Grunt decided he would take a safer route, and he ran along the buildings to go find the Shepards.  
***Those new to the world of Mass Effect: Volus have TWO arms. She was referring to her squad. Five people= 2 arms each. 2x5=10.**

A large, last-ditch-effort force of Collectors rose from the trenches with all weapons aimed at Alexander. The Assassins and Kasumi stood by Alex and raised their guns. Suddenly a missile was launched, causing an explosion besides the Collector formation. John Shepard and Jane Shepard were standing side by side, accompanied by Garrus and Grunt. John threw the missile launcher down defiantly and reached for his Assault Rifle.

A Collector retaliates and fires the first shot. The Assassins charge instantly, joined by Shepards' teams, and all three squads collide with the Collectors, engaging in close quarters combat with each of them. The Assassins vaulted over the leading Collectors, tearing their chitin down the back with their blades, killing them. Alexander throws his pistol to Kairee, who wields it alongside her own pistol. Shepard uses his Hidden Blade to execute the Collectors trying to grab him. Alexander's eyes glow bright blue as he charges his biotic energy, focusing deeply. Collectors turn and watch him, and attempt to intercept him, but to no avail. Alexander "explodes", causing a huge nova that may have made Jack proud! Collectors fly back and most die instantly, some are warped and disintegrate. The Shepards and company knew when to run, and they cleared the blast zone successfully.

In the crater left behind, was Alexander Clarke, kneeling in the rubble, breathing heavily in an attempt to get back what energy was lost. John signaled the Shuttle and it arrived in the nick of time. The GARDIAN Turrets had begun working, and they opened fire on the Collector Cruiser. The Cruiser took enough hits to get the message, and it ascended into the atmosphere, beaten and scarred.

**Normandy SR2, 2185**  
"All in all, I'd say this was a Success," John Shepard said, applying an Ice Pack to Alexander's head, "Where's Kaidan and Ashley?"

"They went to Port Observation, I'll stay here for a moment, you go say hello to them," Alexander replied.

Kaidan and Ashley were sulking on the couch in Port Observation.

"We're on a bloody Cerberus Ship," Ashley announced, and Kaidan shook his head.

"Tell me about it," he replied, throwing his hand up and sweeping the air.

"I can't believe Skipper would do this to me, to us!" Ashley shouted.

"John… has made some rash decisions in life. This is by far his worst," Kaidan muttered, "But we should try to go with the flow, I already lost Jane…" he sighed, and Ashley tilted her head.

"What? What happened?" she asked, and Kaidan turned away.

"I got angry about Cerberus… said some things I really, really should not have… I deserve every bit of this, Ashley," Kaidan said, putting his face in his hands.

At that moment, John, Jane, and Kairee Antar entered the room to greet the two. "Kaidan, it's great to see you!" John said, stretching his arms out for a hug, which Kaidan accepted, squeezing a little too tight. John gasped for breath and Kaidan eventually let go with a sly smirk. "Alright, fine, have that victory…" John said, recovering from the "hug".

Ashley stood and hugged Jane, though she didn't have that vindictiveness that Kaidan possessed, at least not for Jane. She was still angry about Cerberus, and the two went back into Sulking Mode. The five stood in awkward silence until Kairee spoke up.

"I just want to be the first to say, welcome aboard." She said with a smile.

Ashley, not in the mood to talk, especially not to a Turian on a Cerberus Ship, glared at her. She gestured around the room to symbolize The Normandy, Cerberus. "And what are you doing here?" she asked, snidely.

Kairee was taken aback by the vicious tone. "Just trying to help…" she muttered.

"You honestly think Cerberus cares if you help or not? You know they are just using you." Ashley spat, crossing her arms. John and Jane sat quietly, not wanting to get involved just yet. This was the acclimation stage, and vehement bickering would be common for the first few days, maybe a week or two. This should be resolved organically.

"I'm not in it for Cerberus, Williams," Kairee replied, narrowing her eyes at Ashley, and crossing her legs in a ladylike manner.

"I don't care if you're in it for drug money, they'll just throw you away once they are done with you. I mean, you're an alien." Ashley stated in an "I know everything" tone of voice.

Kairee growled at Ashley, "The term is 'Turian', Ashley!" she said, her voice starting to rise.

**"Cry some more!"** Ashley said, mimicking a thick Russian accent, raising her voice to a shout and standing up.

Kairee jumped up and stood eye to eye with Ashley, "I don't like your attitude. I suggest that you 'chill out', Pyjak," she said, squinting.

"As long as I'm working with the Travelling Freakshow," Ashley said, referring to the amount of aliens aboard, not discounting human Jack, of course, psychotic as she is, "the attitude is part of the package!" she shouted, John tried to intervene, "Shepard, with all due respect, let me handle this!" she said, and John cringed.

"Look, I don't like Cerberus and I don't like betraying the Alliance. I don't like my boyfriend coming back from the dead after two years to tell me he did both of the former!" Ashley said to Kairee, squinting back, "And we just lost a Colony to a bunch of insects with guns that almost abducted me like something out of Close Encounters, Only with more bees!" Ashley added, "So yeah, I'm going to be like this for a while. Don't like it? Go whine to your parents about it, if you can even find them!" she barked, in an act of emotional weakness and immaturity. This was highly uncharacteristic of Ashley, who was normally a devout Christian and lover of poetry, for those of you who don't know.

The room was silent for a whole minute.

Kairee's face lost its intimidating glare for a second or two as she processed what was said. It returned eventually. Her pain was evident enough to be felt, and Jane winced, for she knew what was about to be said.

"When I was a little girl, my _father_ was abducted, ransomed, and murdered in cold blood by _humans_, because they were angry about a war that had already ended. My _mother_ disowned me when she learned I had befriended a human, sometime after I accidentally killed a politician on Oma Ker." Kairee said, her voice weakening, "I _get_ that you don't like Cerberus in the least bit, I _understand entirely_ that you are not so fond of the other galactic races. But you know what? I _shouldn't BE_ helping you, after what humans did to my father? After the scar they left on my mother? I chose to forgive a race for the sins of a few. You don't want my help? Whatever, but I'm here, so get out of my way!" she explained, shoving Ashley aside and walking out of the room hastily.

Alexander had been at the doorway, about to come into the room, when Kairee ran out of the Port Observation deck, sobbing, a few tears rolling down her mandibles. His heart ached for her, and he didn't even know what happened.

He looked at John and Jane, who were glaring angrily at Ashley, and he knew instantly.

After a brief pause, he looked her in the eyes with a false, not exactly creepy, but unnerving nonetheless, smile. He puts up his fist, backwards, and engages his hidden blade, making sure Ashley could see it in between his index and ring fingers. He does the same thing with his other hand, using the hookblade. Alexander holds this for a second before staring fiercely at Ashley, and walking out of the room in a hurry to go find Kairee.  
Jane just scoffed, looked at her with disappointment, and followed suit.

"Why is it that whenever someone says, 'With All Due Respect', they really mean, 'Kiss My Ass?'" he asked, shaking his head, and he then walked out. Even Kaidan had to admit that was a little low, and he looked away from her. Ashley's resolve began to falter, and she uncomfortably shifted in place, uncrossing her arms and frowning. She knew what John was talking about. She had said those very words two years ago in a conversation…

"Did I just… get dumped…?" she asked Kaidan.

"No, he just broke up with you, I was the one who got dumped," Kaidan chuckled, "Alexander quoted the immortal words… of Jay-Z, and then Jane told me we should see other people."

"Ouch…" Ashley replies, wincing.

"That's what that one guy said. You know, the African-American man who's always doing sit-ups in the Armory?" Kaidan added, "But yeah, I think John's pretty angry with you for that."

"I… I didn't mean to come across like such a… such a…" Ashley stammered,

"Like such a xenophobic, self-absorbed, jealous, nationalistic…" Kaidan listed, and Ashley stared daggers at him, "Ok, shutting up now."

Ashley sat on the couch with Kaidan and sighed. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Well, we just lost our romantic partners; we're stuck on a Cerberus Ship headed out to fight a suicide mission." Kaidan said aloud with a smile.

"I see no reason to continue with this. Should we ditch them next time we stop at the Citadel and report them?" Ashley responded, and Kaidan shook his head.

"Nah, it could be fun! We're surrounded by people we don't know, but hey! Joker's here, both Shepards are here, ha! They even somehow found Garrus, although the scar…" Kaidan said, grinning.

"Always the optimist…" Ashley muttered, leaning back.

"Think of it this way: Do you remember Virmire?" Kaidan asked, and Ashley turned her head to look him in the eye, "Of course you do," he added.

"What does Virmire have to do with this?" Ashley inquired, tilting her head.

"Think about it: Only one of us could make it off Virmire alive, yet John didn't give up on us. While Jane left to save you, John was the one who found the turret and lit those Geth pieces of scrap metal up like firecrackers on the Fourth." Kaidan explained, "We both survived something we shouldn't have, and we're here today. John and Jane came back today, and they saved both of us once again. I think we should, no, need, to repay the favor." Ashley considered this for a minute, before smiling for the first time in a while, "Alright, let's kick some Collector Thorax!" 

**((Thumbs up for Bipolar Kaidan. LOL. Added in some Mary Sue backstory as to why Ashley and Kaidan were both still alive. I never played ME1 because of compatibility issues on my PC. I know that one squaddy dies on Virmire, but I didn't know what the base looked like or if it even had turrets. Whatever the case I'm glad with my BS excuse :D))**


	5. The Rogue Brother

**((Note: I will be mucking with the Recruitment Mission's events, but I will try to keep some dialogue, minor encounters, and important, unavoidable sections of the Mission. As a Fan Fiction author, I am well within my rights to do as I please, hence Fan FICTION.)) **

**Normandy SR2, 2185 **  
The Normandy gracefully glides through deep space, en route to the Asari Colony "Illium".

In the Laboratory, Executive Officer Miranda Lawson asks for Mordin Solus, who promptly arrives with a smile. "Miranda, what can I do for you?" Mordin asked, putting his hands together respectfully.

"I received a call from The Illusive Man. He wants you to check Mr. Clarke's DNA again. He didn't say why, he just did." Miranda shrugged. Mordin frowned at this and turned.

"Ah, yes. Had been hiding this for quite some time… DNA, unusual… Studied it, uncovered something strange, inhuman, but similar. Implications… problematic," Mordin rambled, shuffling around on his desk to find a Datapad with info on Alexander Clarke, the human Assassin.

"My God…" Miranda said, gently reaching for the pad and looking over the images and calculations.

Mordin perked a brow, "Possible Recognition of DNA. Good, good," Mordin said, smiling….

**Nos Astra, Illium, Terminus Systems, 2185 **  
The Normandy flew in, ready to land in Illium. At Miranda's urging, John Shepard agreed to take the crew on "shore leave". Besides, he had to return to find Thane Krios, after the recruitment of Samara. He promised Shore Leave would come later, but for now, he had to track down Thane, in any way he could. There wasn't much talk about the next recruitment after Samara, so it came as a shock to multiple crewmates when Shore Leave was delayed.

Commander John Shepard called his Squad to the briefing room to prepare for Illium.

"Men, as you know, I have delayed your shore leave on account of a potential recruitment here on Illium. The name is Thane Krios," John said, sliding a datapad to the center of the table. Instantly, Alexander's eyes lit up.

"Thane Krios?" he asked, and Shepard nodded. "Thane Krios was one of us at one point… that little Toad abandoned the Brotherhood. He went rogue, started freelancing. Though I must say, he could very well outdo the Mentor; he just hasn't been contracted yet," Alexander explained, and John's eyes widened.

"So this must be personal I take it?"

"Not totally. He ditched the Brotherhood. It's not like he walked up to me and slapped me across the face."

"Then I'm taking you along for this," John said, and Jane laughed.

"Umm, this man is a Rogue Assassin… You would be killed instantly if you made a wrong move. I would like to take this one," Jane Shepard said, smirking at John, who then decided to just give up there and let her take control of the squad.

"Alexander, I'm going to need somebody with your CQC skill. If the stories about Krios are true, I need somebody who can buy me time," Jane said, gesturing to Alexander, "Kairee, I need somebody skilled in Long Range marksmanship, and a good hacker, besides," she added.

"Is there anyone else you want to take with you?" John asked.

"I'll take Miranda. I could use the Biotic Supremacy," Jane replied, grinning at the XO, who "sweat-dropped" at the notion of being a Templar in an all-Assassin group.

The Shuttle transported the quartet planet-side, to the city of Nos Astra. There, an Asari accompanied by two LOKI mechs met them there to give a simple greeting.

"Welcome to Nos Astra, Commander Shepard, we've been instructed to wave all docking and administration fees for your visit!" said a young Asari, "My name is Carina."

Alexander stepped up, looking irritated. "That's a lot of firepower for a 'friendly' welcome. Are you expecting trouble?" he asked, moving his hand to his M11 Suppressor. Kairee placed her hand on his and smiled, calming him down.

"We're the gateway to the Terminus Systems, sir. That element of risk requires greater security," Carina clarified, and Alex nodded in approval.

"Please, enjoy your stay," Carina said, smiling and waving off the Mechs. She walked off and left the team alone.

"Alexander, if I may have a word with you, we seem to have…" Miranda tried to say.

"Not now, Miss Lawson, we need to focus on finding Thane Krios," Alexander interrupted, backing away, then turning and walking off. Miranda sighed and followed the rest of the party.

They found themselves in a large plaza, with men and women of all races, but most emphatically Asari, Volus, Salarians, and the occasional Turian. "Split up and look for clues," Jane commanded, and the team dispersed.

Alexander knew instantly where to go, and what to do. He leaned back against a wall and looked around, activating his unusual, White Omnitool, pressing a few buttons. The Insignia of The Assassins on the screen for a moment, before Alexander tapped it, causing it to send out a pulse on-screen as the Insignia danced. He lowered his Omnitool and waited. After a while, he sighed and walked off to try another lead. He was yanked by the arm into an alleyway by an unknown figure. All he knew was that the figure had a Hidden Blade.

Alexander reacted immediately, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting his arm, flipping him onto his chest. Alexander pressed the man's own arm against his back, holding a hidden blade to his neck. "Name, Rank, Chapter, and purpose for attacking an obvious superior, I want answers!" Alexander said, poking the man's neck lightly.

"Christ, I'll tell you! Desian Actius, Footpad of the Nos Astra branch of the Illium Chapter. The Rogue Brother is loose, I thought you were him, I'm sorry!" Desian said, and Alexander released the Turian Male. He stood up, dusted himself off, and bowed in the Assassin style, a polite, East Asian bow with both fists touching at the knuckles.

Alexander returned the bow. "Alexander Clarke, Assassin Rank 1 of the Citadel Chapter," he said, and Desian's eyes widened.

"You mean, the Alexander Clarke who has been traveling with Commander John Shepard?"

Alexander smiled and mouthed a confirmation, which Desian read positively and knelt. "Are you here about The Rogue Brother?" Desian asked, to which Alexander tilted his head.

"Rogue Brother? Oh, yes, Thane Krios. We were hoping to recruit him for our mission against the Collectors."

Desian tossed his head back to laugh. "He abandoned the Brotherhood, Sir; I doubt he'll accompany you on any business pertaining to the Templars and Assassins."

"You'll tell us what the Illium Chapter has to say about The Rogue Brother, Mr. Actius," Alexander replied rather dryly. "I am your superior, and I am currently working with The Commander Shepard, both of them, actually. We need to know anything you can tell us regarding his whereabouts."

Desian sighed, "Yes sir. We last heard he was going after a diplomat, Nassana Dantius. Funny Coincidence: She's a Templar, or at least the Templars support her. She found out that her life was on the line and started becoming paranoid. I don't know what she's doing as of right now."

"Thank you, Desian," Alexander said, but before he left, he paused and turned back around. "You mentioned Christ," he said, and Desian scratched his neck.

"Yes, I am a Christian Turian. We do celebrate religious freedom for all species, do we not?" Desian said, looking Alexander in the eyes. He simply smiled and nodded.

"Yes, of course. Though it is quite rare, as most Turians, statistically, prefer their own religion, and Asari philosophies," said Alexander, and Desian conceded, shrugging, "You want to come with us? Help out with Thane?" Alex suggested, "I'll put in a good word for you with the Illium Chapter."

Desian pondered this for a moment, before chuckling. "Sure, I'll help you with The Rogue Brother, though I cannot help you any further, with the Collectors, and all. I would only slow you down, and I have my duties here."

Alexander agreed to the terms, and led Desian to the Plaza.

Kairee was chatting with an Asari about an Information Broker who could, obviously, provide information. She went by the name "Liara T'Soni"…

Miranda was preoccupied with a group of Eclipse mercenaries, running diagnostics on their LOKI mechs. They told her that Nassana hired a band of Eclipse mercs to guard her life.

The three compiled their data and met back in the Central Plaza.

"Eh, where is Jane?" Alexander asked, looking around awkwardly.

"Hell if I know…" Miranda replies sarcastically. Kairee was busy looking up at the top of a building, and the others stared at her quizzically. She silently pointed to a lone figure, crouched on the corner of the Mall's roof, observing the area. "Of course…" Alexander muttered, face-palming.

The four of them walked over to the building and shouted to Jane, who lost her footing and fell off the roof, barely catching a ledge. "I'm okay!" Jane announced, as she pulled herself up slightly, so that her eyes were peeking into a room, walled off with glass. Inside was an Asari in green and white clothing, talking to somebody's hologram.

"Have you ever faced an Asari Commando before? Few Humans have… I'll make it simple. Either you pay me, or I flay you alive… with my mind." She said in the most nerve-wracking, absolutely creepy, calm voice, speaking with a "kind" tone, and drawing out her words slowly like some kind of enlightened sage. She hung up and looked out her window, looking down to see the top half of Jane's face looking up at her. She shrieked and leapt a foot into the air, hitting her ankle against the desk behind her. Jane climbed up onto the ledge and pressed her body against the glass, trying to speak through it. "Liara, is that you?!" she asked, both thrilled to see her old friend again, and disturbed to see this new side of her.

Liara calmed down long enough to process that Commander Jane Shepard was currently outside her office window sucking on the glass… ok, not literally, but you get the point.

"Nyxeris hold my calls," she ordered, and another Asari at the doorway bowed politely.

"It's so good to see you!" Liara said, still using that calm, quiet tone.

"You're threatening to flay people alive, now?" Jane asked, rather monotonously, like an Elcor. She couldn't believe that her kindhearted, shy sister-figure had become so vicious in the span of two years.

"Oh that, that was just a customer, unhappy with the information he received. He'll pay, they always do." Liara said. Her facial expression failed to change. "Ever since I helped you stop Saren, people have wanted to be my friend, or not be my enemy. I've set up a respectable business as an information broker. It's paid the bills for the past two years. Now we meet again," Liara murmured, taking a seat. Jane followed suit.

"And you are gunning for the Collectors with Cerberus…" she sighed, and Jane raised her hands in surrender. "That isn't exactly public knowledge," Jane said curiously.

"Neither is your brother being alive, Jane," Liara reminded her, "Information… is my business now… and if you need information on finding people, I'm happy to help."

Jane looked around casually. "Ok, I need information on finding a Liara T'Soni… who are you and what have you done to her?" Jane quipped, patting the armrests of her chair.

Liara's eyes narrowed to a squint that intimidated even Shepard, and she scooted back in her seat.

"I'm looking for Thane Krios." Jane finally stated, and Liara began to soften up.

"The Assassin… he arrived a few days ago. My sources tell me he may be targeting a corporate executive, Nassana Dantius. He contacted a woman named Seryna. Seryna has an office in the Cargo transfer levels. Perhaps she can tell you where Krios is." Liara elucidated, bowing her head. "Thank you, Liara. That's all I needed to know." Jane replied. Just then, Miranda Lawson entered, followed by Alexander and Kairee.

"Great… Information Brokers, the Second and Third Tenet's nemesis," Alexander muttered under his breath, looking around at the files and datapad collection strewn about Liara's desk.

Jane raised an eyebrow at this, "Does she know that?" she whispers. Liara sends Nyxeris out of the room before proceeding.

"Most Information Brokers are made aware of your two warring factions. Both realize that our Brokering poses a significant threat to your confidentiality, and in turn Order. We have no intention of revealing secrets. That would cause mass hysteria. Though, most of the time, both The Assassins and the Templars give Information Brokers "Silence Taxes" so that we remain neutral and impartial to the war, refusing information regarding one member of a faction to another, unless pay is greater of course." Liara clarified, and Jane stared at her, shocked.

"I did not actually know that you were with the Assassins, Jane. Mr. Clarke, Miss Antar, I am aware of your alignment with The Brotherhood. I suppose you are after Krios because he's a Rogue Assassin?" Liara admitted.

"No, John Shepard expresses interest in his abilities," stated Kairee, who raised her hand.

"John… it's good to hear he's alive," Liara sighed. "I remember you two from a Vid that Joker uploaded. 'Amnesia: Darkness Falls'?"

Alexander grinned and rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, we played a little of that together…"

Liara nodded and looked back down at her files, sifting through them.

"I should go," Alexander muttered after a minute of silence.

"God, what the… that's my line, Alex!" Jane said with irritation.

**Later that Evening… **  
The quartet hastily made their way to the cargo transfer offices, to locate Seryna, who was sitting in her cubicle, looking at her computer console.

"Hello, Seryna?" Jane asked, looking down at the Asari.

"Who wants to know?" Seryna responded, not looking up from her work.

"The name's Jane. Liara T'Soni said you might have information on Thane Krios," said Jane, brushing a lock of red hair out of her eyes.

Seryna looked up, got up out of her seat, and turned to a coworker. "Tana, cover for me," she said, leading Jane and company to the dock.

"Yeah, I know who Thane Krios is. I might have passed him some information, but I didn't hire him. What do you want to know?" asked the Asari.

"Maybe you could help me find him?" Jane stated, shrugging.

Seryna simply scoffed and said, "I can tell you, but you won't stop him. When he contacted me, I checked up on him. The man never gives up on a job. I ran security for Nassana Dantius, and then I heard she was having people killed to cover up her dirty secrets. She fired me when I confronted her. Her loss, I might have been good enough to stop Thane from taking her down."

"So where do I find Thane?" Jane inquired.

"The Dantius Towers, Penthouse Level of Tower One," Seryna replied, turning to face the cityscape, and then pointing. Jane and Alexander moved forwards, scoping out the view.

"There's a Second Tower, still under construction. If Thane is smart, he'll go in from there," announced Seryna, and Alexander perked an Eyebrow.

"Doesn't sound like she's going to roll over and let us walk right in," he said, kneeling and keeping his eyes on the tower. He felt something strange, but he couldn't place a finger on it.

"She's as smart as she is paranoid. No one's getting in or out of there without a fight. I can get you in, but you only have one shot. You better be ready."

Jane smirked and crossed her arms, "Let's go then," she said.

"Good, I'm tired of this crap," Seryna stated rather boldly, gesturing to the rest of the room. "We'll go tonight, as soon as the shift workers clear out of Tower Two."

Seryna left them be, but not without giving Jane the time of meeting on her Omnitool. A few hours was given.

"Spectacular! Tell John to bring everyone out of the Normandy for Shore Leave," Jane ordered, and Miranda saluted, calling the Commander on her Omnitool. She turned to Alexander, "Alex, there is something I need to tell you."

Alexander was still looking out at the Towers when he heard Miranda's voice. He turned to face her. "Yes, what is it?" he asked politely.

"We found something quite… interesting… in your DNA. The Illusive Man suspects that you are of First Civil…" Miranda attempted to say, before being distracted by a pull on her arm by Shepard.

"C'mon, Miranda, I want to check out the mall! I hear they have some pretty sweet hardsuits available!" Jane cried, pulling the Executive Officer along with her. Dantius followed suit, leaving Alexander and Kairee alone with each other.

Alexander looked at Kairee, and she looked back at him. "So… it's just you and me," he said, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

She smiled shyly back at him. "So, what do you want to do?" she asked sweetly.

"Not sure," Alexander said, "We have about four hours. Do you want to go check out the Art museums?" he inquired, and Kairee nodded in approval.

"I heard that they recently completed the Human Art and Sculpture exhibit!" Kairee stated excitedly, to Alexander's confusion.

"What is it with you and Humans?" he questioned with a chuckle.

Kairee blushed, looking around for a brief moment. "I… I'm not really sure, actually. I find their culture rather intriguing I guess…" she sighed, crossing her arms behind her back.

"That would be one reason I love you, but you know that you'd never have to change for me, right?" Alexander asked, taking hold of one of Kairee's hands. Her "cheeks" were a bright blue as she nodded slowly, before walking off with Alexander.

**Later that Night **  
John Shepard and Jane Shepard reunited after the four allotted hours were almost up.

"It's almost time to go get Thane," Jane announced, and John grinned in anticipation.

"Do you mind if I tag along?" John asked, and Jane shrugged, opening her Omnitool to contact the team.

"I'm bringing Alex, Kairee, and Miranda again," Jane said, to coordinate with John.

"She can't make it. When we docked for shore leave, a couple of Cerberus techies requested her presence. They were bringing in this… chair. It was Black, Orange, and White: Cerberus' colors. They had a crap-ton of wires and gadgets with them on hand as well. So I think she'll be busy for some time," explained John.

"Fine, Alex, and Kairee… you… you know what? Perhaps we should bring Kaidan or Ashley along for once. I need to know that they trust us, and for them to know that we can trust them," Jane said, and John nodded before activating his Omnitool.

"Kaiden, Ash?" John requested over the Normandy's channel.

"Yes, John?" Kaidan replied, he was in the Nos Astra mall, enjoying a small meal at a Café with Ashley.

"How would you like to join us for a recruitment opportunity?" John inquired, and a gulping noise was heard over the Comms.

Kaiden had finished the rest of his coffee in a hurry, left the payment, grabbed Ashley's arm, and ran off with her. "We'll be right there!" Kaidan chirped.

John snickered, and closed communications. "Well then, we have our Team."

"I sent a message to Alex and Kairee to rendezvous here," Jane muttered, lowering her own Omnitool.

**Nos Astra Multicultural Art Museum and Theatre **  
Alexander Clarke and Kairee Antar were taking a stroll in the Sculpture Garden, an indoor "Greenhouse" of sorts, with multiple kinds of plant life from assorted planets. Among the flowers and trees stood magnificent statues, sculpted by famed artists across the histories of all the Galactic races.

Alexander was admiring a replica of the Tian-Tian Buddha sitting amongst a bed of Earth-Native lotus flowers. Kairee walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Who is that?" she asked inquisitively.

"This is a sculpture of the Buddha," Alexander replied, turning his head to face Kairee. Her mandibles twitched in confusion before she asked another question.

"And who is 'Boo Duh'?" Kairee said as her translator glitched. Alexander chuckled at this technical mishap and put an arm around her waist.

"He was a man named Siddhartha Gautama. He was born on Earth, centuries ago. He was raised a prince, and his father spoiled him like no one else. I believe it was some kind of prophecy, that if he witnessed suffering, he would become a great ascetic, rather than a great king," Alexander explained, and Kairee listened intently. "He failed. Siddhartha eventually found out about mortality, illness, and famine. He resigned… studied with Hindi ascetics for a while, but failed to find the answers he sought. They say he attained enlightenment under a Bo Tree in India. The religion of Buddhism sprung from his teachings. Life was full of suffering that came from desire. End Desire? End suffering," Alexander continued. Kairee paused and thought about what was said.

"I should look into Human religion," she muttered.

"That Desian Actius was Christian," Alexander reminded her, and she nodded.

"I'm not saying I'll convert, but it is interesting nonetheless," Kairee replied, leading Alexander around the Garden once more.

In the center of a small pond, was a French sculpture by a "Rodin".

"This one, I'm not familiar with," Alexander stated as he studied the statue closely. The two figures in the sculpture were in each other's embrace, nude, as was common for the time of its creation. The man was holding a book in one hand, holding the woman by the thigh with the other. A closer look revealed that the two figures were about to kiss, but their lips did not touch, suggesting that they were interrupted somehow.

"What's it called?" Kairee asked, looking into Alexander's eyes.

Alexander felt something odd in his mind, somehow knowing what the sculpture was called. He brushed the feeling aside, debunking it as simple recall.

"The Kiss," he murmured. A question came to mind. "Do Turians kiss?" he inquired, and Kairee blushed profusely at the thought of the question.

"Well, we don't really have 'lips' like you humans. You would call it a 'flexible beak', really, but the two are similar. I guess we 'kiss'…" Kairee said, rubbing her shoulder.

"Works for me…" Alexander whispers, pulling Kairee closer to him. She placed her arm around his neck, and he slipped a hand to her hips, thus replicating the positions of the sculpture before them. Alexander's lips were only mere centimeters away from Kairee's mouth as they closed their eyes.

An incessant pinging noise was heard from Alexander's Omnitool, and with a sigh the two separated. Alexander opened his white Omnitool and read Shepard's message. Time was up, and they were back on the clock.

Kairee shifted uncomfortably, staring shyly at Alexander, who only blushed and smiled back.

**Dantius Towers, Illium **  
Seryna was driving the Skycar that would take the Shepards and company to the Towers. She had to take Jane, Alex, and Kairee first, as nobody else could fit into the Skycar.

"The towers are heavily guarded and you'll find more resistance closer to the penthouse." Seryna declared quickly, "So, this Assassin… you planning to stop him?" she asked.

Jane looked over at Seryna, "I'm just here to make sure he survives."

Seryna nodded and began speeding the Skycar around traffic, up, down, left, and right as they flew through the Megalopolis that is Nos Astra.

Eventually the Towers came into view. "There they are, the Dantius Towers. You'll have to get up the second tower and cross the bridge to the penthouse," Seryna explained, "Her mercs will fight you every step, but it's your best chance."

"Alright, let's do this," proclaimed Jane, who had her N7 Hurricanes ready for action.

Alexander placed his hand on Kairee's and smiled warmly at her.

"Alright, hold on," Seryna warned, flying the Skycar down to the lot in front of the second Tower.

"Don't linger too long; they'll be here to greet you soon enough," Seryna said as Jane and the others left the Skycar. Jane looked up at the towers with a sense of awe.

"Good luck, Shepard," Seryna added, sitting back and closing the doors. She would return shortly with the others, dropping them off at the same spot.

The seven turned to face the glass doors, as a group of Salarian workers were retreating from a group of LOKI and FENRIS mechs, only to be shot down. Enraged, Alexander charged forwards, using biotics to blast his way through the doors, colliding with the oncoming FENRIS mechs. Behind him, two shots rang out that took the heads off of the LOKI mechs. John and Jane fired their pistols and ended the mechs.

Alexander curiously explored a pathway that led to a door, and in front of this door was a wounded Salarian.

In a raspy, desperate tone, the Salarian managed to communicate weakly. "Help…" he said.

The others found him and watched in horror. "He managed to escape with his life," Kairee said, kneeling before him.

"I can't feel my legs, my chest is killing me," the Salarian worker groaned.

"Who did this to you? And why?" John asked worriedly.

"We're just Night Workers! Nassana… sent them after us… She sent the mechs to round us up, but we didn't hear… they just started shooting!" the Salarian cried.

"They just attacked you?" Alexander replied.

"Yes! We were… too slow, it was Horrible. Everyone…screaming!" said the wounded man, "The mercs said there was no time… Nassana wanted us out of the way… immediately!" he added, before he began coughing up green, Salarian blood. "Then… the dogs!" he cried, choking and sputtering.

"John, he's not going to make it if we don't do something!" Kaidan Alenko said firmly. Shepard activated his Omnitool and injected a dose of Medigel into the Salarian.

"Here, that should ease the pain, and keep you alive until help arrives," John said.

"Thank you. That helps, a lot…" The Salarian said.

"Take your time," added John, as the Salarian struggled to get to his feet.

"I… think I'm… better," he said, "Find the other workers, Help them."

"I need to get up to the Penthouse, any suggestions?" John asked.

"Take the service elevator to the upper floors. The bridge between the towers isn't finished, but if you're careful… Watch out for the mercs. They are everywhere."

John thanks the Salarian for his help he returns the gratitude, limping off. Ashley Williams opened the door and walked inside, Assault Rifle at the ready.

A patrol of Mercenaries found her and began shooting. Kairee ran straight into the fray, leaping on top of the leading Merc before he could signal that people were in the building. The team shot down all cameras in the room, and Kairee executed the mercenary with a thrust of her hidden blade. "Tick Tock… we're on the clock," John said, stepping over a FENRIS mech and peering down a hallway. More mercs were in the way.

"Ashley, Kaidan, stand back. Watch how we do it in the Brotherhood…" Alexander says.

"The Brotherhood?" asks Kaiden and Ashley in unison.

"I'll fill you in later!" Alexander said in a hushed voice, slowly sneaking into the hallways with Jane and Kairee. John, Ashley, and Kaidan move back and watch from afar as Jane runs up the wall, using support from loose construction equipment and materials to cling to the walls and ceiling, crawling above two mercenaries, who were standing and talking to their inferiors. Jane lets go on the ceiling, flips over, and impales one in the head with her hidden blade, kicking the other one in the stomach and pushing him to the ground as he doubled over, killing him with the blade. The other two mercs go to react, but are pulled into columns by Kairee and Alexander, who cleanly snap their necks, mercifully killing them instantly.

Clearing out the rest of the room without alerting the mercenaries, Alexander shoots the cameras with his M11 Suppressor pistol. Ashley watched on in disbelief at how easily handled this all was. "How…?" Ashley asked, before John raised his hand to silence her. Alexander put a hand to his mouth and made a quiet, but still audible, bird noise.

John leapt over cover and looked around the room, Assault Rifle at the ready. "You have your hidden blade, John?" Kairee asked, pointing to her wrist. John put his first two fingers to his wrist where his pulse would be to confirm that he possessed the Prototype hidden blade.

John ran ahead with Jane, who had instructed him on the fine art of staying quiet. Jane eliminated multiple mercenaries. John rolled over cover and pinned an Eclipse merc to the ground with his hidden blade, crushing his hardsuit and bones from the impact of his biotic strike. It had caused considerable noise, regrettably, and a crowd of LOKI mechs emerged from the other rooms, accompanied by their engineers. They've been discovered.

Ashley threw a grenade at one team of LOKIs to prevent them from harming John, and Jane and Alexander opened fire at the engineers, giving them a good scare, before John cut them down with his blade. The sound of the Grenade alerted the mercenaries. Stealth was no longer as much of an option. However, this room was clear for now. Jane heard some muffled shouts from behind a door, panicked, desperate cries rather than hostile roars. Hacking through the door revealed a trio of Salarian workers.

"Please, don't kill us! We'll go we'll go!" cried one Salarian in yellow. The one to his immediate right tapped his shoulder and gestured to them.

"Hey, they aren't Eclipse! You're here to help us… right?" he said.

"It's one reason we're here. Come on out, it's safe enough," Jane said, lowering her SMG.

"Thank you, we are in your debt," The Salarian in yellow declared, bowing.

"Maybe you can help us," John interjected, looking the Salarian in the eyes, "I'm looking for someone. Not a Merc – he's on his own."

"Well, whoever sealed us in here…?" The Salarian in yellow began, and the sentence was finished by the Salarian in blue.

"When he found us, I thought we were dead, but he just closed the door and locked us in."

"So he just locked you in, away from Merc hands? Sounds like The Rogue Brother was simply trying to protect them, like any Assassin should," Desian Actius, who had been a silent observer until now, said to Alexander.

"A-Assassin…?" the Salarian in Yellow asked.

"Here for Nassana, I bet. She's got it coming," the other Salarian said, "You treat people like this, and it always comes back to bite you in the ass."

"I need to get to Nassana's Penthouse. What is the quickest way?" John asked.

"Well, the Cargo Elevator is the only way up, right now," The one in Blue stated.

The one in Yellow raised his hand, to deliver a warning. "They're still working up top. Watch your step; some of the walls aren't in, and it's a long way down!"

"Thank you for your help," Kaidan Alenko said, giving a half-salute.

"You should head to the lower levels, we cleared them out for you," Desian suggested, and the Salarians left for the downstairs.

"Cargo Elevator… let's do it!" Ashley said, lifting her weapon once more and heading towards the intended target.

"We'll be pretty exposed once that thing comes down; we need to get to cover if anyone is on that elevator," Desian said, moving back. John Shepard inched closer to the elevator doors, Shotgun in hand.

"Shepard, get back!" Alexander cried.

It was no use. "Mezzanine… Have a pleasant stay!" A kindly voice said over the speakers as the elevator arrived. Inside was a Krogan, accompanied by two engineers. The Krogan immediately fired a rocket out at Shepard, but missed due to the shock of seeing him right in front of the door with a loaded shotgun. John angrily jumped in and tackled the Krogan to the wall, electrocuting him with his hidden blade, which found resistance entering his body due to the armor and tough skin. The Krogan shook wildly before slumping down. The Engineers looked at Shepard with true fear.

"Anyone else?" asked John casually, with an apathetic shrug. The Engineers dropped their shotguns and ran away screaming about how the job wasn't worth it.

The team stepped into the elevator, and John hit the button with his elbow.

The Elevator rushed upwards at rapid pace.

Arriving at their destination, the team discovered a lone Eclipse Mercenary talking over his Comms. John Shepard led the team up to him, and each of them removed their best weapons. "Turn around. Slowly," John commanded, his Cerberus Harrier at the back of his head, Ashley and Kaidan's Avengers, Jane's N7 Hurricane, and Alexander and Kairee raised their wrists and activated their hidden blades. Desian kept watch.

The Mercenary turned his upper body around to get a face full of gun. "Damn It," he swore, "sweat-dropping" in the process.

"Have you seen the Assassin?" John asked casually, putting his gun down.

"Why are you looking for him? You are one of Nassana's mercs… who are you?" The Eclipse Trooper asked.

"Answer my questions and I'll let you go," John said persuasively.

"Look, pal, even if I knew where he was, I wouldn't tell you," The Trooper snickered, prompting Desian to step up.

"Not the answer I was looking for," John uttered, moving his face towards his in an intimidating fashion.

"I've got nothing more to say to you. If you shoot me, my team's right there. They'll be all over you," The trooper said defiantly, crossing his arms.

"Is a little information worth dying over? Is Nassana?" whispered John.

"No… I suppose not… OK look, last I heard, the Assassin was down on the mezzanine, but the teams on the bridge think they might've spotted him. Nobody knows for sure," The Eclipse trooper stammered fearfully.

"Get out of here," Desian ordered, holding his blade to the Trooper's neck.

"I'm going!" he replied, holding his hands up in surrender.

"He owes you one. Had you not said what you said, I'd have gladly killed him," Desian admits, sheathing his hidden blade.

Alexander looked around the room, seeming without aim. "What are you searching for?" John asked, tapping his shoulder.

"I think… I see something… hear something… in the ducts…" Alexander murmured before sprinting off towards a wall, flipping backwards and snagging a loose wire with his feet, using his strength and agility to swing to a vent, punching through and climbing into the ducts. The other six just stared at this reckless course of action, before moving forwards without him as he shuffled around through the air ducts.

Only a small group of Eclipse Mercenaries remained in the storage room, making this perfect for stealth. Desian drew his pistol and lay down on the floor, crawling silently across the floor to his target. Sweeping her with his gun, the female Batarian fell backwards onto Desian, who had prepared his hidden blade for collision. She fell onto the sharp edge and was silenced instantly. Desian shoved her body off of him and stood up to face a LOKI mech's pistol. Its head flew away from its torso as a shot rang out. Desian winced, thinking that it was the LOKI's bullet. Instead, Kairee had pulled the trigger on her pistol, saving Desian's life.

"That is why you are a Footpad," Kairee quipped dryly. Desian sighed and bowed before his superior.

The team discovered three more Salarians, one of which fainted, and threatened Nassana when she attempted to get a report from the Eclipse mercs that were assassinated. Then they kept moving. Up onto a balcony, which led to the Bridge, there was a squad of Mercenaries led by a highly skilled Commando.

"I got this one!" Ashley cried out, running toward the commando with her assault rifle, unleashing a hail of gunfire and rage upon the Asari, shredding her barriers and armor before ripping her apart from the practically point-blank range and sheer force of the attack. Ashley lunged onto her, stepping onto her neck, firing until her gun overheated. Kaidan used his biotics to hurl another Vanguard over the railing, cart-wheeling her into the Skycar traffic far below.

Kairee, Desian, and the Shepards ran ahead onto the bridge, the wind making it difficult to keep a footing. Another Asari Commando awaited them at the end of the bridge, packing a Machine Gun, with a turret besides her. Jane Shepard rushed across to greet her target. Activating her Tech Armor, she withstood most of the Turret's spray-fire, but her shields were compromised by the Machine Gun. She tripped over, knocking the Commando to the ground. As the Turret warmed up for another attempt, Jane rolled out of the way just in time for the Turret to target the Commando.

Jane picked herself up and walked away as the Turret fired.

Hacking the Turret, Kairee managed to get it to shut off completely, spilling it's thermal clips on the ground.

"Gruesome…" Kaidan, who had knelt down to examine the bloody mess of a Commando, murmured.

"Well, it's about to be all over," Jane said, cracking her knuckles and hacking the door.

John Shepard was the first to enter, partially as a joke, partially as a psychological weapon.

"Shepard? But… you're dead!" Nassana Dantius exclaimed as she and her mercenaries turned to face him, weapons ready.

"I got better," John smirked.

"And now you're here to kill me…" Nassana declared, and her mercenaries exchanged thermal clips.

John's squad raised their weapons in retaliation, but John remained stalwart, refusing to flinch or pick up a gun. "You really are paranoid, aren't you?" John asked with a laugh.

"Don't patronize me, Shepard…" Nassana said with a wave of the hand.

"Charming as Ever…" John replied jokingly.

"I'm sure you find this all very ironic… First, you take care of my sister, and now you're here for me," she said, reminding John of an event two years earlier, "Well, you made it this far… now what?"

"You really think I'm here to kill you?" John questioned, and Jane started chuckling.

"Do you have another reason for destroying my tower? Decimating my security?"

"I'm just looking for someone," John replied.

"You expect me to believe that?!" Nassana cried, "Is it credits? Is that what you want? Just tell me your price. We can make this problem go away."

John crossed his arms with a sarcastic sneer. "Make me an offer," he said.

"Double what you're getting, and I'll pay double again if you tell me who hired you."

An Asari Commando shifts uncomfortably. "WHAT?" Nassana barks.

"I heard something…" the Commando replies.

"Damn it! Check the other entrances! And you! Stay put!" Nassana shouts.

Meanwhile, something emerges from the ceiling as a figure, a male Drell with green scales and a red neck, silently drops from a vent. He puts his hand around a Mercenaries mouth, and twists his head around, breaking his neck. He turns around and punches the other one in the throat.

"When I am finished dealing with this nuisance, you and I are going to… Who…?" Nassana rambled, readying her own pistol As the Drell whipped out a pistol at near-lightning speeds, shooting the Commando in the forehead without even aiming down the sights, before whirling around like a dancer and grabbing Nassana's gun arm with a free hand, ramming the barrel of his gun in Nassana's gut. He silently fires the weapon into her intestines and lays her down on the table, holding the back of her head gently. He folded her hands across her chest neatly and respectfully, praying in his mind for her.

"Impressive, I must say…" Kairee murmurs, as another figure enters the room via a different duct. Alexander's hunch was right apparently.

"I was hoping to talk to you," John Shepard said.

"I apologize, but prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken," The Drell said in a raspy voice that resembled a croak.

"Do you really think she deserves it?" John asks.

"Not for her. For me," the Drell replied, "The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you, for instance. All this destruction… chaos," he continues, walking around the table.

"I was curious to see how far you'd go to find me, well… here I am."

"How did you know I was coming at all?" John questioned with mild irritation.

"I didn't, not until you marched through the front door and started shooting," the Drell answered with a very light chuckle, "Nassana had become paranoid. You saw the strength of her guard force. She believed one of her sisters would kill her."

"You… were a valuable distraction."

"You used me… so you could kill her!" John boomed angrily, Kairee put a hand on his shoulder.

"He's a rogue, Shepard," she said, and John sighed.

"I needed a diversion; you needed to speak with me," spoke the Drell, stoically; "You certainly fulfilled your end of the bargain. What would you like to discuss?" he asked.

"Someone's been abducting entire human Colonies. We're going to stop them. We already know the culprits – a race called The Collectors," John explained.

"I've heard of them. Attacking the Collectors would require going through the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so," the Drell cautioned.

Kaidan chuckled, "So like some kind of Galactic Bermuda Triangle." He said, and Jane nodded.

"They told me it was impossible to get to Ilos ((Eye-Lows)) too."

The Drell pondered John's response for a moment. "A fair point... You've built a fair career on performing the impossible. This was to be my last job…"

Everyone stopped and considered these words before a bombshell was dropped.

"I'm dying." He announced, "Low survival odds don't concern me. The Abduction of your colonists does."

"I hadn't heard that, is there anything I can do?" John said, sympathetically.

"Giving me this opportunity is enough," the Drell replied.

"The universe is a dark place. I'm trying to make it brighter before I die."

"Many innocents died today. I wasn't fast enough, and they suffered. I must atone for that," the Drell continued, the anguish was palpable, even if his voice was unreadable, and he wore a Poker Face quite well. He extended his hand and John shook it. "I will work for you, Shepard. No Charge." He said. John smiled.

Suddenly, however, another vent was removed as Alexander Clarke slipped into the room just as silently as Thane (the Drell) did. Slowly he walked up behind Thane, attempting to knock him unconscious, a bit of a vendetta for his abandonment.

Thane read the body language of Kaidan Alenko, whose eyes wandered for a split second to Alexander. He whirled around and jabbed Alex in the side, causing him to curse in pain. Alexander assumed a combat stance and began sending a flurry of punches and kicks in Thane's direction, which he nonchalantly parried with his wrists. Alexander sent another fist his way, and Thane parried it, but this time, he moved his arm in a circle, gripped the elbow, and pinched the funny bone, forcing Alexander to kneel. Thane had not moved any other part of his body until now, kneeing Alex in the nose, knocking him back. Kairee reacted instantly and tried to pull him away, only to be jabbed in the throat with Thane's index and middle finger, Praying Mantis style. He added a slash of the elbow to that, hitting her in the nose, causing dark, blue, blood to drip down.

Seeing this, Alexander roared in anger and stood up, quick as a flash. He and Thane began punching each other in synchronization, beating at each other's knuckles as they attempted to land a blow. The others had stood back, not wanting to trigger either one's combative reflexes. They both twirled, attempting to roundhouse kick each other, and they locked legs at the joint. They spun again, causing them to lift off the ground, tripping. They both regained balance, and barrel rolled midair, landing on the floor gracefully, before resuming striking each other in the chest, shoulders, and upper legs.

"Alexander, Thane!" Kairee barked, covering her nose to stop the bleeding.

Alexander gripped Thane's wrist in a rage and began pressing tightly against his veins, threatening to crush his arm. Thane knelt down in pain, but grabbed his pistol and aimed it in Kairee's direction.

"You would not sacrifice your lover for a petty grudge," he stated, rather matter-of-factly.

Alexander snarled and released his arm. Thane dropped the gun, dusted himself off, and bowed before Alexander.

"It has been a while since I have fought an opponent of skill such as yours. It is an honor to meet you, Alexander Clarke," Thane complimented.

Alexander exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "My apologies for the assault, Thane, but please apologize for punching my girl!" he muttered. Thane turned to Kairee and bowed politely, and she accepted that symbol.

"I had not known that the Brotherhood would become involved," Thane mentioned, and Alexander nodded. "Well, we have, Mr. Krios."

"May I ask just why you left the Brotherhood?" John asked casually, shrugging.

"I had originally joined in my younger years, acquiring further training than what I had gained under the guidance of the Hanar. For a while I served the Assassins, I understood and lived by the Creed. Then…" Thane said, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, "I realized that I should not be involved in a petty squabble between two childish, violent, angry factions, but I should lend my blade to taking care of the truly wicked on both sides. It just happens that a lot of my targets are Templar puppets."

Alexander crossed his arms. "If your targets are Templars, then you should come back. Things are different since we were novices. A new Mentor is in place, and with the death of the original Council – thank you Shepard – we've installed politicians aligned with the Assassins, and we've been advising them since. Templars are not a massive issue anymore. We focus on the more important task of stopping the Reapers," Alexander explained, and Thane listened respectfully.

"Very well, my friend… If I am to work with Assassins while I fight the Collectors, I will be happy to lend my assistance to them in my final years," Thane declared, that stoic tone never leaving once.

**Assassin Mission Report: Mission Success  
- Resources Obtained: Medigel, Credits  
- Templar Executive Nassana Dantius Assassinated  
- The Rogue Brother, Thane Krios, has been recruited  
- Desian Actius, Male Turian, Footpad of the Illium Chapter assisted in the mission. I highly recommend this young man for a promotion. Keep him safe, I sense great potential in him.  
- Eclipse Mercenaries killed**

Cerberus Mission Report: Minor Mission Failure  
- Medigel and Credits recovered  
- Nassana Dantius murdered. The Asari Templars have taken a hit.  
- Thane Krios, ex-Brotherhood Assassin recruited  
- Illium Assassins involved in conflict  
- Animus 5.7 Delivered Successfully.

**The Normandy SR2, 2185 **  
Back aboard the Normandy, Thane enters the Briefing Room, where Jacob Taylor, John Shepard, and Alexander Clarke stood.

"I've heard Impressive stories, Krios. Sounds like you'll be an asset to the team. That is, if you're comfortable having an _assassin_ watch your back…" Jacob opened, looking at Shepard and finishing the sentence on a sarcastic note, scowling.

"Hey, buddy, Templar, yeah, you? Shut up." Alexander says with a smile.

"I've accepted a contract. My arm is Shepard's," Thane clarified.

"Uh-huh. Don't know about you, but I'm loyal to more than my next paycheck," Jacob quipped.

"We don't fight for money; in fact we only get paid by people who REALLY want to pay us. Sometimes we dig through crates for extra credits," Alexander added to scold Jacob.

"Isn't that Shepard's thing?" Jacob replied.

"Obviously, he is too. He's doing this mission gratis. What's your concern?" John asked with a sly smirk of victory on his face.

"I don't like mercenaries. An assassin is just a precise mercenary," Jacob replied.

"Laa Shay'a Waqi'un Moutlaq Bale Kouloun Moumkine," Alexander stated, quickly, like he was fluent in the language.

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted," Thane translated, "And, an Assassin is a weapon. A weapon doesn't choose to kill. The one who wields it does."

"Where shall I put my things? I'd prefer someplace dry, if anything is available," Thane requested, his arms folded behind his back.

EDI appeared in the center of the Table. "The Area near the life support plant on the crew deck tends to be slightly more arid than the rest of the ship." She informed Thane.

Thane smirked and nodded, "Ah, an AI? My thanks…" he said with a polite bow.

"He seems quite civil…" EDI said, before disappearing.

"We need all the help we can get. He's not what I expected in an assassin. He may surprise you," John said to Jacob.

"Yeah, and he may not," Jacob replied in displeasure.

"Look, you damn Templar, You need to get over yourself, because we're here to stay," Alexander snarled.

Jacob said nothing and walked away.

**Later… **

Alexander found himself being called to Miranda's office later in the night as he was preparing for bed.

"Alexander, I've been trying to say something for some time, now," Miranda began, looking him in the eyes.

"Yes, you tried to tell me something on Illium. What was it?" Alexander asked.

"The Illusive Man knows about the Assassins here, and he knows about you. He asked that we scan your DNA again to check for anything unusual… here's what we found," Miranda said, sliding a datapad to Alexander, who took it in hand and looked it over, his eyes widening at the results.

"First Civilization… Alexander, you have First Civilization in your blood. Fortunately, you also have Ancestors who would die for the Assassins. During shore leave today, Cerberus gave us a little gift," Miranda explained. She stood up and showed Alexander to a door in the back of her quarters. Using the pass code, the door slid open, revealing a small, circular room with computers along the walls. Oddest of all, in the very center of the room, was a chair. And this chair was cushioned with orange pads. The metal was colored black, and the armrests were padded with white cushions. Wires connected this chair to the computers. Dr. Mordin Solus was reviewing a few files and operation guides on how Genetic Memory works. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Ah, Miss Lawson, Mr. Clarke!" said Mordin, putting down the guidebooks.

"Arrival Time preferable," Mordin said, standing up, "Excellent, have you briefed Mr. Clarke?" he asked Miranda, who shook her head.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Alexander said, backing away slowly, "The Illusive Man wants to dig through my memories like a junk drawer? Hell no!" he said.

"False. Memories belonging to Ancestors, not your own," Mordin clarified, "Violations of private thoughts are beneath The Illusive Man. Violation of dead thoughts… not as immoral."

Alexander calmed down long enough to get his next question ready. "Is the Chair safe?" he asked warily, "I've heard the stories… Clay Kaczmarek went insane, killed himself and painted the walls in his own blood. Desmond Miles had night terrors, screamed in his sleep. The Bleeding Effect…" Alexander murmured.

"Most issues have been resolved, Alexander. We cannot prevent The Bleeding Effect, but we can soften the blow it deals to your psychological profile," Miranda explained, gesturing with her hands to the Animus and the computers.

"What are you probing my grandparents' memories for anyways?" Alexander asked.

"We haven't had any contact with First Civilization for 100 years, Alexander, we know little about them. Now that humanity is on the Galactic scale, we want to find out about them and their contemporaries. You're related to them, so you are our best bet," Miranda explicated.

Alexander bit his lip in contemplation…

"When do I begin?"

**((A/N: Yes, I seriously added a Christian Turian and a discussion on religion in an Art Museum. inb4 someone brings the hate. Also this is where the Animus is first introduced. If you didn't get how exactly TIM found out about the Assassins, I'll be posting some other sidestories and one-shots to explain.))**


	6. Ashley: Ring Out the False

**Normandy SR2, 2185**  
"Commander, Ashley wanted you to see meet her in the Port Observation Deck. Something's got her on Edge, but she wouldn't mention what it was," Kelly Chambers called out as John approached the Galaxy Map.

"Thanks, Kelly, I'll get right on that," John replied, releasing the railing and stepping down from the Galaxy Map, walking forwards to the Elevator. Pressing a button, the doors closed as the elevator lowered to the Crew Deck. Outside the door were Jacob and Miranda. Normally, Jacob wasn't on the Crew Deck, but he had been helping Miranda with some Animus equipment. They were just about to head upstairs for more supplies.

"Hey, Commander," Jacob smiled, slapping his hand against John's, moving his hand back to backhand the back of John's hand, and then the other way, clasping them together. John and Jacob pulled each other forward for a one-armed brother-hug. "I want to thank you again for helping me with my father. Good to know he'll have plenty of time to reflect on all the crazy **** he did, in an Alliance prison!" Jacob chuckled. He and Shepard had recently gone down to a Garden World to investigate a distress signal sent by the MSV Hugo Gernsback. His Father had manipulated his crew for 10 years, stealing the rations for his officers and himself, and allowing the lesser crew to eat the local flora, which caused mental degeneration. A Colony of literal Retards and some madman living out a childhood fantasy as Robinson Crusoe in Space did NOT make a good combination. Of course Shepard had to do something!

"And I want to thank you for helping me relocate Oriana…" Miranda chimed in, shaking John's now free hand. "She's safe now, and away from our crazy father…"  
Miranda was bred genetically from her father's DNA, and tweaked. Her father had intended to make her truly perfect, mentally and physically, giving her the best of educations that his vast amount of money could buy. Though, he didn't want a family… he wanted a Dynasty. Eventually, Miranda's genetic "twin" sister, Oriana, was created as a means of replacing the now expendable Miranda. Not wanting her to suffer the same, Miranda kidnapped the infant Oriana and kept her hidden from their father for years until he finally got a lead. After dealing with Eclipse mercenaries who had been misled, Miranda finally relocated Oriana and her family to a safe location, at the cost of an old friend, Nikket.

"I care deeply about the lives of my crew. It would be foolish of me to have not helped you!" John replied, saluting his two Cerberus operatives. They returned the gesture and boarded the Elevator. Turning right, Shepard went down the hallway to the Port Observation Deck.

(Facing the Elevator, Port=Left, Starboard=Right. Facing away from the Elevator, Port=Right, Starboard=Left.)

"John, can we talk for a moment?" Ashley requested as she swallowed a drink. She had been sitting patiently at the bar waiting for one of the Shepards to take the call.

"Sure, what's on your mind?" John replied as he took a seat besides Ashley. She was visibly angered by something, but she had never mentioned any discontent besides her being on a Cerberus Ship. Thankfully, Kaidan coaxed her into ignoring Cerberus for the time being.

"Jack shared some of those files, the ones that you let her see on Cerberus?" Ashley began, pouring another drink into her glass, "I came across a _very_ interesting Dossier."

John had a confused look about his face as an awkward silence followed. Breaking the silence, he said, "What was in the Dossier?"

Ashley smirked, bringing her drink to her lips. "A year ago, when you were still dead, I met somebody in the Alliance. A young man named Bruce McCarthy. He was new, right? So I showed him the ropes, and he climbed through the ranks in no time flat. He abandoned the Alliance rather violently, and I was there. But I just read that he ditched Cerberus some time before you came back."

"Was he involved in the Lazarus Project?"

"Of course, and it gets better. Miranda informed me that, after attempting to sabotage the Lazarus Project, he abandoned the base with some stolen tech, and information regarding you and your cybernetics," Ashley added with a slight chuckle.

"Odd, what would he need with those?" John pondered aloud.

EDI spoke over the Intercom at that point. "If I may interject, any amount of information regarding the types of Cybernetics within you right now could give way to an innumerable amount of complications during the mission. Someone can find your weaknesses and exploit them, selling them to the highest bidder. That is the most likely outcome. It is least likely that Bruce is trying to acquire parts for his collection."

Awkward silence once more fills the room…

"That was a joke."

Ashley sighs in frustration. "I think she's trying to be Human. We don't need another Geth Repeat, hell I think they all could have learned something if they watched Terminator beforehand."

"Relax, Ash. EDI's just trying to be friendly. I encourage this side of her. It actually keeps her from devaluing our lives, trust me!" John Shepard teased, nudging her shoulder.

"Well, with a little help, I managed to track our trickster to Outer Council Space. Somewhere in the Ialessa System, but my money is on Sanves. I guess he was trying to hide in the population, but what the idiot forgot was that of the 975 Million people on Sanves, 975 Million are Asari. The Human male is going to stick out like a sore thumb amongst all of those female Asari," Ashley elucidated as she finished her last drink. "If you want to gain my full trust and cooperation, prove to me you have no qualms with killing Alliance traitors!"

"Alright, let's see what we can do," John said, patting Ashley's shoulder. He lifted his head to face the ceiling, "Joker? Set a course for Sanves."

"Sanves?" the Pilot asked, "Right away Commander!"

As the ship flew, a group of people was gathering in the Starboard Observation deck.

"Sanves, right? That Asari world… I'm definitely going to enjoy some Shore Leave there!" Kenneth commented rather tactlessly, earning stern glares from Eleria, Samara, and Gabby.

Kasumi Goto smiled wide underneath her hood. "I heard that there was this massive Diamond. 2,105 carats!" she said, leaning back on the couch.

"2,105 Carats… yeah, I'll believe that when I see it," Crewman Hawthorne sniggered.

"Fun Fact: That sucker was taken on a Galactic Tour to be blessed by a bunch of religious leaders," Alexander Clarke interjected.

"Probably just Turians and Asari, maybe some Hanar," Kaidan responded, crossing his arms.

"Well, actually, Roman Catholic Pope Leo XIV blessed it back in August. I heard that they got the Dalai Lama to do the same, along with Muslim and Jewish leaders. Then it made a stop in India and some Brahmins paraded it in Varanasi," Alexander added, to Kaidan's dismay.

Half of the people in the room tilted their heads with lifted eyebrows in confusion. Alexander sighed when he heard the bewildered chatter. "Pope Leo XIV leads the Catholic Sect of Christianity, the Dalai Lama leads the Tibetan Mahayana Buddhists, and the Brahmins are the highest 'caste' of Hinduism, although the Caste System was officially and unofficially converted into a non-society-affecting formality many, many years ago."

"How do you know so much about Human Religion?" Eleria T'Geya inquired.

"Lots of Studying," he replied. "One cannot be a Guardian of Free Will without first possessing a -at the very least- basic understanding of different worldviews and opinions. You will learn this as time goes by."

"Well, way to make a casual conversation educational, Sensei…" Kasumi groaned childishly, using her nickname for Alexander.

"So the Goddamn Pope blessed a giant rock that the Asari pulled out of any old colony?" Zaeed asked again, chuckling noisily.

"Hey, it's much better than condemning the Asari for not believing in Jesus… like hundreds of Popes before would have done…" Frederico Corado mumbled, reading over a datapad.

"I suppose you're right about that," the Mercenary muttered.

"So I heard Ashley was going after an Alliance Traitor?" Kaiden asked as he uncrossed his arms and letting them fall to his sides.

"Who also abandoned Cerberus," Hawthorne "corrected".

"Yeah, I heard he took a bunch of goodies from the Lazarus Project and slipped out the back door to go pawn it off to some of Shepard's enemies," Eleria answered.

"I think it's about damn time we kicked him in the daddy-bags, as a little 'retirement present'," Kenneth snickered as he cracked his knuckles in a vain attempt to look intimidating.

"Kenneth, I've seen you shoot… no comment," Gabby replied, with a look that seemed to scream "you're an idiot!"

**Sanves, Outer Council Space, 2185**  
The Normandy lands in the spaceport of the Capital city, Etheai.

Before getting off of the Ship, John Shepard quickly selects his squad, and decides to have an extra squad cover his own.

"Ashley, Mordin, on me," he ordered, then turning his attention to the rest of the crew. "Alex, I need you to take a group to the café over there, and wait for our orders to move in. You choose who you take along."

Alex smiled and nodded, quickly picking out Kairee and Jack.

Everyone else was released for Shore Leave. "Everyone's fake IDs, Credit chits, and Cerberus Shore Leave guidebooks are ready for pickup in the conference room," Yeoman Chambers announced to everyone waiting to get off the ship.

…

"So, Ashley, we made it to Sanves. Do your leads tell us where this guy is?" the Commander questioned as they disembarked the Normandy.

"Not his exact location, but I know it's this city," she replied, her eyes narrowing as she scoped out the scene. A human male should be easy to find in a city of Monogendered Asari.

"Enough talk. Let's just kill something," Jack interrupted, walking off indignantly with Alex and Kairee. Ashley threw John a strange glare.

"I haven't blown up the Teltin facility on Pragia, yet. When this is over, maybe I'll bring you along," John muttered, following after Jack.

**Alex, Kairee, and Jack: New Leads**

The trio sat alone in the "Athame's Star" café within the Spaceport, quietly listening and watching for any sign of Bruce.

"You know, I've been thinking about Halloween…" Kairee said, placing her hand on Alexander's.

"Our dance?" he asked in response, smiling as he took a bite of his breakfast pastry. When they landed, it was technically morning by Galactic Standard Time (GST), even if the entire night sky was shrouded in darkness. To him, it looked like it would have been 3:00 AM on the Winter Solstice back on Earth.

"Yes, actually," replied Kairee as she traced a little circle on the back of his hand.

"I meant everything that I said, except for the part where I was pretending that we'd just met, of course," Alex said with a little laugh, remembering how he had played dumb when they had masques to conceal their identities.

Much to his annoyance, Alexander noticed a group of Asari checking him out, talking amongst each other. It was clear they were talking about him. He could hear them, but he wasn't sure how. It was as if every other sound had muted, so that he could hear the Asari with complete clarity.

"He's pretty cute…" one with a purplish skin-tone commented, turning to her friend in a blue robe.

"Hey, you wouldn't have a shot with him if you tried!"

Another Asari, with white face-paint around her cheeks and chin, piped up at this point. "Oh hush; you have a bond-mate already."

"If you want him so bad, just walk up to him," the one in blue replied indignantly.

Alexander sighed and put the palm of his hand to his face. The rest of the world's sounds came back to him.

"Something wrong, love?" Kairee asked as the Asari began her approach.

Alexander held up his fingers, slowly putting them back down, one by one. "Three… two…" he murmured inaudibly.

"Hi, I'm Irena," the Asari said, offering her hand and a smile.

"Alexander," the Assassin replied, shaking her hand. "Not to sound crass, but I'm already in a Relationship. I'm not interested," he swiftly added.

Irena's eyes immediately strayed to Kairee. She looked up and down, sizing up her competition. "You aren't even of the same Amino group…" she muttered, a private thought she made aloud without even knowing it.

Jack rolled her eyes and leaned forwards on the table, her face displaying an expression of true hostility. "Hey, look, he's just not into you. Quit *****in' about the Turian and **** off!"

Alexander and Kairee's eyes both widened as Jack only made the situation worse, as much as she was trying to help. "In before catfight…" Alexander said, coughing into his fist.

Irena's biotics flared in anger. "I'm sorry, what did you just say to me?"

"You heard me!" Jack shouts.

"Both of you stop this immediately!" Kairee barked, restraining Irena as she tried to jump over the table onto Jack. Irena shoved her away, into Jack, who then became livid with the both of them. Alexander leapt out of his chair and backed up, bumping into one of Irena's friends.

"Boy, that escalated quickly…" the Asari said, watching on with shock. The three were shouting and striking each other, either with biotics or with blunt Omnitool weaponry. They would be pulling each other's hair… if any of them had any. Kairee and Irena by default did not possess hair, and Jack had her head shaved.

Alexander sprung both of his hidden blades, and as the two biotics prepared shockwaves, he stepped in between the two and held the weapons up to their throats.

"Khvatit ! Ostanovit' etot bred ! (Enough, Cease this nonsense! (Translation may be off.)) Alexander boomed.

"I think my translator bugged?" Kairee said, calming down and checking her Omnitool.

"Wait… what?" Alex asked himself, sheathing the blades and standing aside.

"The hell was that?" Jack asked as Irena, visibly disturbed, backed away slowly.

"I think I just… spoke Russian."

Jack rolled her eyes, "I don't care if you're speaking Keelish."

At that moment, amidst the confusion, Alexander heard a broadcast from a Galactic News terminal behind him.

"A platoon of Blue Suns mercenaries landed in the Etheai Planetary Spaceport yesterday, with questionable motives. When approached, they demanded we shut down our drones, as they would not give the name or location of their contact. One brave deserter divulged the identity of said contact. 'Bruce McCarthy', ex-Alliance scientist. Our anonymous source is now under Police Protection. If you see anything suspicious, please call the number you see below with any information."

Without thinking, Alexander activates his Omnitool and forwards the broadcast to Shepard's team, earning a thank you from Ashley. "Keep your eyes peeled for Blue Suns in the area," she said.

**John, Ashley, and Mordin: Interrogation**

Shortly after receiving the tip from Alex, Shepard and his team discovered a lone Blue Suns soldier loitering at the back entrance of a bar, within the city. Ashley Williams, unable to control herself, immediately lunged forwards, pinning the merc to the wall. "Answers, now."

"Ashley, what are you doing?!" John said, noticing that his M77 Paladin was missing from his side… and now pressed against the Merc's face.

The Batarian gasped, trying to get some air as Ashley pressed harder against his throat.

"The location of your contact, Bruce McCarthy!" she clarified angrily, finger teasing the trigger.

"Like I would tell the likes of you?" the Batarian taunted with a sly smirk.

"You really want to try the woman with the gun in your face?"

As Ashley was about to pull the trigger, John rushed to her side and wrestled the gun from her hand in one swift movement, of course, keeping it aimed at the mercenary in case anything funny was attempted.

"Watch yourself, Williams. Start shooting randoms on the street and you are no better than him!" he warned. He turned to the Batarian and sneered. "My friend wants to know where you're keeping Bruce McCarthy hidden. I sincerely suggest you tell us what you know. You're in Council Space, and if it wasn't obvious… Commander John Shepard, Spectre."

The Batarian actually gulped nervously when he heard this, understanding the power that the Spectres could wield: They were above the law.

"Doctor's recommendation: tell us what you know," Mordin says, sniffing deeply before continuing, "John's enemies… have a tendency to disappear."

"Bruce McCarthy, Human scientist. He was offering data on your cybernetics in exchange for protection and a way to contact someone. He's holed up outside the city! Some kind of camp was set up in the forests. I don't have the coordinates, I'm just waiting for my officer!" the Batarian merc shouts in panic, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Thank you for your cooperation," John said, lowering the pistol and nodding his head. "Do you mind if we can wait for your officer with you?"

The merc just groaned and hit his head against the wall.

The four waited for what felt like hours before a small group of Blue Suns approached.

"Bok'lathan, what is the meaning of this!?" an Asari boomed, raising her shotgun in John's face. In retaliation, Ashley lifted her M8 Avenger, and Mordin his M6 Carnifex.

"Drop the Eviscerator, now." Ashley said, modding her ammunition to "incendiary".

"The only way I'm putting this down is if you…" the Asari tried to say as John took the Renegade interrupt. He ducked under the barrel of the gun and stood back up, bringing a clenched fist with him, uppercutting the Asari right in the jaw, knocking out a few of her teeth as she crumpled to the ground.

"Knocked it out of your hands? I think Gravity already did that for me…" John scoffed, looking up at the other Blue Suns. "Anybody else want to go? I wasn't armed that time," he added with a cold laugh.

The mercenaries threw their weapons down in surrender, opting to NOT die today. With a sly smirk, Mordin bent down and collected the weapons. With a sniff, he began ranting on the possible effectiveness of the weapons. "AT-12 Raider. Excellent, Batarian Shotgun. Would be very effective for Krogan… or Human, in which case… will let Jack know she has a new 'killing-buddy'."

"Hey, you can't take my gun!" the mercenary on the left shouted, stepping forwards, only to have Ashley put the barrel of her Avenger in his face.

"Yes we can," she said, turning her head in Mordin's direction. "Hey, Solus, do you mind if I can have first dibs on that M55 Argus?" Ash inquired, looking down at the Assault Rifle. Odd how a bunch of Mercs had it, when it was originally meant for Law Enforcement. She guessed that the Blue Suns thought themselves the de facto police force in the Terminus and purchased some M55's to "prove" it.

"Of course. Here you go…" Mordin replied, making the switch with Ashley as he walked off to set the guns down for safekeeping. "Ask the shuttle to pick them up. Later, of course."

John returned his attention to the mercenaries. "Give us your officer's coordinates. Is a man with such a traitorous reputation worth your lives?" he asked, trying to persuade the two to give him what he wanted. Their own lives were the best bargaining chip, he figured.

The mercenary on the right sighed, kneeling down over his officer to steal the coordinates from her omnitool. He then forwarded it to John, leaving a special "gift" for him.

"Thank you, I'm a man of my word. You're free to go," John said with a smile, standing out of the way.

Bok'lathan and the other two mercs ran off in a hurry, leaving John and his squad alone in the alley.

"Joker, send the shuttle to pick us up. Alex, if you're on this channel still, we've acquired the coordinates to Bruce's base camp!" Ashley commanded.

"Right away, Ash!" Joker replied.

"Alright. Forward them to me. I keep hearing about my "fan club" here in Sanves, so I'm sure we'll have a ride of our own," Alex said over the comms. John shrugged and sent the coordinates with his Omnitool. "We got them. Headed there now. Ashley, do you want us to take care of the problem?" Alexander inquired.

"No. Bruce is mine," Ashley replied coldly. After a few minutes, the shuttle arrived to pick them all up.

**Search…**

The shuttle ride back was lengthy thanks to traffic. John had found a way to pass the time, listening to some music through his armor. The playlist was loaded into his Omnitool as music came from inside his helmet. It was loud enough to hear from the outside.

"Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. Ashley snickered as she heard the now ancient drum beats…

"Oooohhhhh, we're half-way there, WHOOOAA-OH, Livin' on a Prayer, take my hand, we'll make it I swear, OOHH-WHOA, Livin' on a Prayer!" John sang to himself, unconsciously raising his voice to a yell, oblivious to the attention he was getting from Mordin and Ashley.

"Nice voice, Mr. John Bon Jovi…" Ashley teased, crossing her arms.

John finally took notice and paused the song, removing his helmet. "Oh hush-up," he ordered, shaking his head with a smile. "I'm not that bad am I?" he asked.

"No, you were pretty spot on. I just didn't expect you to like that old stuff…" Ashley replied, uncrossing her arms and leaning forwards.

"Says she who still reads Alfred Lord Tennyson," John quipped, rolling his eyes and slipping his helmet back on.

"Hey, Tennyson wrote true classics!" Ashley retaliated, pointing an accusing finger.

"Hey, okay, to each his or her own, right?" said John, who threw up his hands in mock surrender, hiding a smirk under his helmet.

As the Shuttle docked in the Normandy, John immediately hopped out, followed by Ashley and Mordin in single file.

"Joker, load up the Coordinates on the map. I want to see where we're deploying!" he commanded, raising a finger into the sky, as if to signal Joker to speak.

"Already done, Commander," EDI's voice said as it reverberated around the Cargo Bay.

In the CIC room, John leaned over the railing as he viewed the holographic display of Sanves. "Right here, in this forest," he announced, pointing his finger at a yellowish blip on the display.

"We're tracking 'Ghost Squad' now… they are en route to our destination in a black Skycar of human make," EDI said, as the globe of Sanves shrank back into the projector and was replaced with an image of a Skycar.

"Good to see Lamborghini is still in business…" Kelly Chambers jibed, giving the display one look and then sniggered at the fact that it looked almost identical to the old Lamborghini Aventadors…

"Leave it to Alex to ride in style…" Ashley commented as she turned and walked into the Armory.

"Alright. When Ashley's done preparing, we'll get on the shuttle. Joker, send for Kaidan. We'll need his versatility in combat," John commanded.

A few minutes later, Ashley emerged from the Armory, equipped with the M55 Argus, modded for higher clip capacity and a scope, and an M92 Mantis

Kaidan stepped out as well, rocking a M15 Vindicator. "Ready to go, Commander," he said, inserting a thermal clip.

"Before we go, I wanted to ask," John stated, holding a hand up in a gesture of patience, "Ashley, you speak about Bruce like this whole thing is personal? What aren't you telling me?"

Ashley bit her lip before speaking, "Bruce McCarthy betrayed the Alliance, taking vital information with him to Cerberus, then betraying them, taking vital information with him to these Blue Suns thugs. I… tried to stop him when I caught him snooping around in classified files regarding your records. He managed to get away, but not before landing me in the hospital," she explained. "That little ass is going to get what he deserves, whatever he's up to, I don't care as long as he doesn't get away with it…"

John frowned in disgust. "You must be glad to know that two years of his work are about to go down the drain, along with his blood," he said with a rather gung-ho tone of voice as he pounded his fist into an open palm.

**…and Destroy. **

"Approaching the LZ," announced an Asari in white and red, cloth-like, skintight armor as she piloted a Skycar down into the Forests below.

"Set us down gently. I don't want to have to meet resistance this early in the mission," Alex requested, looking out the window.

"Stealth is my middle name!" the Asari joked as the Skycar came to rest in a clearing. The doors opened, and the Assassins filed out, with Jack the last to exit.

"So why the Hell are we sneaking around when we clearly have the strength to run right in?" Jack asked with a scoff, loading her shotgun.

"Well, normally I would opt for that," Alexander said with a nod, "But I don't have an M920 Cain."

"Why does that matter?" Jack sneered lifting her gun up and looking around.

"Meh, I could just end the fight with one shot if I had a Cain, but because I don't, we need to be careful with our approach," Alex explained, reaching for his M11 Suppressor.

"Do you even see their camp?" Kairee asked, looking out into the forest for any sign of sentient life. Alexander looked straight ahead and immediately saw something worthy of suspicion.

"Hand me your Sniper Rifle please, honey?" Alex asked, holding out his hand as Kairee placed her rifle in it. Alexander looked down the scope and zoomed in as far as he could. He could see a large cabin up ahead, a good distance from their current location. Even on maximum zoom, the cabin was pretty small in perspective, and it was still pitch black at the moment, the planet's sun had not risen, so the only trace of the Cabin was the light from a bonfire. "Good, we're far enough away to not have been noticed," Alex said, handing the Rifle back to Kairee and walking forwards toward the Cabin. He pulled his hood up and attached his "helmet", really a mask that covered the bottom half of his face with material similar to his hardsuit. It projected a visor HUD over the upper half of his face if the wearer activated it.

The Asari driver hopped back into the skycar and piloted it away from the LZ. "We're not coming back. You'll have to wait until Shepard's shuttle arrives!" she said as the Skycar flew over the trees.

"John won't be here for a while. I suggest we scout ahead," said Alexander as he left the clearing. The others soon followed, and as they approached the cabin, Alexander ducked down, hitting the dirt and hiding in a bush.

"Sniper, get down!" he said in a hushed but audible whisper as the other two dropped low. Sure enough, a Blue Suns merc was patrolling the rooftops with a Krysae sniper rifle. "Pray that he's not using a Thermal Scope…" Alex muttered as he crawls out of the bush slowly, taking his time as to not rustle the bush and it's leaves. He picked himself up and ran to the side of the building, pressing himself to the wall, hiding under the roof. The Sniper readied his weapon when he heard the light "thunk" that came with Alexander's armor hitting the wood. Alexander took a deep breath, raised his hand to the air, made a gesture, and made a bird call, somewhat like an owl's. At this signal, Kairee stood straight up, drew her rifle and lined up a shot. One pull of the trigger and all that was heard was a 'splat'. Alexander looked up to see the mercenary's body drop from the roof and onto the grassy ground beneath him. "I'm willing to bet you No-Scoped him," Alex joked as Kairee stepped out of the bush and put in a new Thermal Clip.

"Wasn't that hard, considering the distance, lack of wind, the fact that he was a non-moving target. That and the Silencer acts as an extended barrel so…" Kairee rambled, admiring her rifle.

Jack rolled her eyes and stepped out of the bush. "Enough tech-talk. Let's kill this fool and go!" she snarled, walking ahead of the two.

"Jack, we're not here to kill Bruce, we're here to stealthily reduce his guard force," Alex explained.

Jack scoffed and crossed her arms. "Then why the Hell did you bring me along?" she asked, putting one hand to her face. Covertness was not exactly her thing. Especially since she had the power to light this entire building on fire, with her bare hands and a couple of biotic strikes.

"Not too sure, but seeing the amount of Blue Suns here, I'm glad I did," the Assassin replied, crouching and sneaking to the corner of the wall. He peeked around the corner and assessed the situation.

"Three guards at the door. Five at that picnic table. Mostly Batarians, armed with Shotguns. A few Turian assault troopers are having a conversation by that skycar… I think it's about…" Alexander whispered to his squad. His face twisted in confusion as he heard the details of the conversation. "Fornax models?"

Jack sniggered and smiled wide, "No doubt Asari," she said.

"Turian," Alex corrected. Kairee scoffed in disgust and stuck her head out to try and hear. Of course, she didn't pick up a word.

"You're messing with me. I can't believe my people would sell themselves like that!" she hissed.

"Believe it, Antar. People would do damn near anything for money. It's a natural rule of the Universe," Jack retorted, patting Kairee on the back. She snickered and looked down at Alexander. "Alright, Turian strippers aside, what do we do now, Bat-Boy?"

Alexander cleared his throat, ducking back and flicking his wrist to reveal his hidden blade. He lowered his arm to the ground and began to draw shapes in the dirt. "The O's represent the Guards, and the X's represent us. Kairee, you shot down the sniper. Climb up and see if we have an entrance, like a chimney or a glass sun-roof. If we can't get in, try to find someplace where we can hear conversation inside." Alex explained. "Jack, run into the forest. Start screaming, send out Biotic shockwaves, blow stuff up. Draw their attention. When they arrive, rip their heads off!"

"Hell ****ing yeah! Some action around here!" Jack cheered, immediately dashing off into the forest.

Drawing a line from Alexander's X, to a group of O's, Alex himself spoke once more. "Obviously they have to use their brains at some point. We're going to have a few left behind to keep watch. I'll dispose of them myself. When the Perimeter is cleared, we can signal Shepard to land, bust down the door, and take Bruce down!"

"And that's a reason I love you so much. You come up with the devious plans and the daring escapes," Kairee said, placing her Turian mouth on Alexander's cheek, of course after she pulled his hood down. "Alright, I'm headed up," she said, pulling Alex's hood back up. She then turned and dashed up the wall, jumping back and grabbing onto the roof, hauling herself up and rolling onto the roof.

**Jack: "I will destroy you!"**  
The woman known as Subject Zero raced through the thick foliage of the Sanves forests, hollering at the top of her lungs to draw as much attention as possible, throwing waves of Biotic Energy at the trees, causing them to split and fall.

"TIMBAAAAHHHH!" she screamed, leaping five feet into the air, and with a charge of biotic energy, roundhouse kicked a massive tree, splitting it down the middle with a clean cut produced by biotic and kinetic energy. Right on cue, too. A patrol of Blue Suns, had arrived on the scene. The kicked tree leaned to its side, and with an ominous cracking sound, plummeted to the earth, smashing three mercs like pancakes with a loud splat.

"Holy ****, I didn't know screwing around with trees would be so fun!" Jack taunted, using her biotics to painfully warp several other mercenaries, throwing them into the sky as their molecules were torn apart. A hail of bullets was unleashed upon her as Jack flung herself into the air, then using her powers to crash into the ground, releasing a nova that shattered the mercenaries' shields, armor, and bones. Only one survived, and not for long as Jack charged towards him and threw her hands around his neck. Her biotics flared up, and with one final roar, Jack sent a small shockwave down her arms, through her hands, and into the poor mercenaries head. Jack released the now dead merc and inspected her handiwork. "I guess helmets aren't as safe as they say…" she jokes, shaking her head. She stepped over the mercenary's caved-in skull and wandered off.

**Alexander: Traditional Assassinations**  
Alexander peeked around the corner. There were five guards left over. They were sparsely arranged, spread too thin. This was good!  
One was at the campfire, two were at the picnic table, one was standing at the door, and the last one was on the outskirts, hanging out by a tree.

No matter what he did, he'd be noticed by the guards at the door. The saw the entire camp. Crouching low, he moved into the forest, tracing the perimeter until he reached the guard by the tree. The mercs by the door were still keeping watch. Alexander took a deep breath, picked up a small stone, and stood up.

Within the span of five seconds, Alexander whirled to the left and with his right hand, hurled the stone past the mercs by the door, drawing their attention long enough for his next move. He spun rapidly in the opposite direction, and with his left arm, flicked his wrist and buried his hookblade in the mercenary's throat, yanking him into the foliage and concealing the body there. His arms were crossed in an X as he finished his attack. Quickly putting his arms back to his sides, he pressed himself back up against the tree.  
"One down," he murmured to himself.

Vigilantly, he drew his M11 Suppressor and aimed at the heads of the guard by the door. "Six shots…" he reminded himself mentally as he pulled the trigger. The guard dropped dead, but hit the ground audibly enough to draw unwanted attention.

"****!" Alex hissed as one Batarian readied his M15 Vindicator.

Thinking fast, Alexander jumped out of cover and made a mad dash for the guards at the picnic table. As they stood up, Alexander jumped onto the table and brought both blades into their heads, killing them instantly. He soared into the air and drew his pistol once more, sending two bullets towards his target. One missed, and one landed in the Batarian's neck, snapping his brain stem.

With a mid-air barrel roll, Alexander touched down on the ground, stumbling slightly as the recoil threw him off. A good landing, besides that.

"Perimeter cleared," Alexander said into his communicator. Jack simply gave an "okay".

"I know, I watched. Another reason I love you: You carry out your devious plans in the most stylish fashion. The Legends would be proud of you, Alex," Kairee said, waving to Alexander. Sure enough, she was just sitting on the roof, admiring Alexander's skill.

"You think it's enough to survive a suicide mission?" Alexander inquired.

"Don't even think like that, Alex. We're both going to get out of this alive!" Kairee scorned.

"Hey, don't forget about the all-powerful b**** here. I just chopped a tree in half with my foot!" shouted Jack.

**Kairee: A Stealthy Entrance…?**  
As Alexander's assassination spree came to an end, Kairee stood up and searched around the room once more. Out of pure boredom she began humming a tune she heard at the Halloween dance, finding it rather catchy. She found it odd that the cabin was of Human architectural make, rather than ASARI, considering that this was an Asari colony… Smoke was rising from the chimney.

"Alright the Chimney's a no-go. Someone lit a fire and I do not feel like becoming a Turian Torch," Kairee warned through her communicator.

"And I don't feel like playing Santa Claus today," Alexander quipped, searching the perimeter mindlessly.

"What's that?" the Turian inquired as she kicked the chimney.

"Doesn't matter," Alexander responded, "Can you find any… I don't know, loose boards? Glass Sun-Roofs? Can you hear anything?"

"No Sun-Roofs, but there are a couple loose boards. I think there's a balcony right here… Nobody's on it. Haha, morons… this would have made a wonderful sniping perch."  
"Try the Balcony?" Jack suggested as she made her way to Alexander's location.

Kairee performed a handstand, gracefully swinging down from the roof and onto the balcony. She turned to see what must have been twenty or thirty mercs, all congregating in different parts of the room. Not one noticed her, yet. Her face contorted with shock and worry as she reversed her previous motion, swinging back up onto the roof. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" she stammered.

"Sliding glass doors?" Alexander inquired with a low chortle.

"Sliding glass doors." Kairee repeated, lacking the inquisitive tone.

"I told John that the perimeter was cleared. The shuttle should arrive soon,"

"Good. Hey, there were some loose boards over here…" Kairee mentioned as she began tugging on the board, ripping it off. It revealed an empty closet. "A stroke of luck!" she added gleefully. "I'm going in. There's a closet or something here. I should be able to eavesdrop."

"Good luck, baby," Alexander said with a smile.

"You too, honey," Kairee replied, blushing slightly.

"You may kiss the bride," Jack quipped, rolling her eyes.

Kairee shook her head and hopped down the hole in the boards. Upon standing, she looked in the direction of the door and saw that it was open.

"Aw ****…" she groaned, narrowing her eyes before a hand was cupped around her mouth. A monomolecular CQC knife was pressed against her neck.

"Sssshhhh…" hissed a sadistically calm voice. Boy, what an oxymoron.

Kairee felt something wet pressed against her mouth and nose and, eventually having to breath, she instinctively gasped for breath, only to welcome sweet unconsciousness.

Her captor only gave a deep snicker as he stepped over her and dragged her out for the Mercs to see. "Take her weapons. Tie her up, or something. I don't care what you do as long as we can interrogate her later. Thanks again for the Turian drug."

**Complications**  
An hour went by, without any word from John or Kairee. Considering Kairee only stopped communications recently, Alexander began to worry.

"Kairee hasn't responded. You think she was…" Alexander tried to say, wincing at the notion.

"Hey, she may be a total Girl Scout, but she knows what she's doing," Jack replied in an attempt to console the young Human assassin. "Besides, I want to know what's taking John so long!"

"Probably the woods are making the signal choppy? I don't know. But, thanks, Jack, I thought for a second that…"

Suddenly, mid-sentence, a loud cry of anger emanated from the Cabin.

"For the last time, and this is definitely the last time I'm asking nicely… Who SENT YOU!?" said the voice.

Alexander glared at Jack irritably, and she threw her hands up in surrender. Her face seemed to say, "whups!"

Running up the Cabin's walls, Alexander ran across the roof to find the hole that was left behind. Without thinking, he jumped in. This time the door was closed. No signs of resistance. Carefully, Alexander opened the door and stepped through, readying his M11 Suppressor. He only expected about ten or so Mercenaries, but by the time he reached the stairs, one creak was all that was needed to seal his fate. All 30 mercenaries whirled around, assault rifles pointed at the assassin. A few lasers dotted his chest and head. A couple of snipers were in the crowd.

As tempting as it was to simply charge in and unleash a Nova, Alexander discovered he could not as one man in the crowd snatched a barely conscious Kairee up. He wrapped one arm around her neck, and held the barrel of an M77 Paladin to the side of Kairee's head. "One move, and I turn your girlfriend into a smear on the floor!" he cautioned.

"You Bruce McCarthy?" Alexander asked, pistol still raised defiantly.

"I don't know, who are you?" Bruce said in a mock Brooklyn accent.

"What is this, the Godfather? We're not mob bosses here!" Alex spat, knowing fully well that the accent was heavily exaggerated with an Italian flair.

"Yeah, I'm Bruce McCarthy," Bruce replied, teasing the trigger of his pistol.

"First of all, how did you find out about us?"

Bruce laughed like a maniac before continuing, "You really thought that you guys could chat it up on your radio on an unsecured channel and not be noticed?"

Alex blinked, before slapping his face with the palm of his hand.

"Aaaarrrgghh… Novice mistake!" he whined.

"Ha, you got that right," Bruce jibed, "And your lady friend here keeps telling me that Commander Shepard sent you guys. Shepard's dead, my friend. Me and Wilson helped sabotage the Lazarus Project. Those mechs should have destroyed everyone, even that smug little Test-Tube baby, Miranda."

"Why are you doing this?!" Alexander questioned, hands tensing up on his M11.

"I know it was the Collectors, my friend. The Collectors killed Shepard. Think about it, they were out in the Terminus Systems looking for Geth. One small colony disappears without signs of resistance, four ships go down in the area, and then the fifth: The Normandy meets her doom over Alchera. I read all the files and put together the puzzle. The Collectors want Humans for some reason. I'm a human myself. I don't want to die, or be some mythological monster's experiment! If I'm going to do something to keep myself alive as long as I can, I might as well gain power from it! Keep the freaks away from me even longer!" Bruce began shouting.

"So why take records on Shepard's Cybernetics if you believed him to be dead? Your story doesn't add up!"

"Because, regardless of the precautions I took, I figured it'd be a good idea. I wanted to see who'd be willing to pay the most to protect me if Shepard died, and who to barter with if he lives!"

"Sir, that's got to be the worst plan I've ever heard," Alex responded, shaking his head slowly. The Stupid was painful.

"It's a perfect plan! Shepard dies? Then I sell a ****ton of new technology. I can find a way to pay off the Collectors. Shepard lives? Then I trade technology and information to the Collectors in exchange for preserving my life!"

"The Collectors aren't going to keep their word, Bruce," warned the Assassin.

"Of course they are. You are trying my last nerve, good sir!" Bruce boomed.

"Where the hell is Jack?!" Alexander muttered to himself. With his heightened senses, he could here something outside. Either Jack was preoccupied or briefing John and co.

"In case you were wondering, I used a Turian date-rape drug on your friend here. It would be a shame to see it go to waste as a simple sedative…" Bruce growled, trying to find a weakness in Alexander. What he didn't realize is that he just made a horrible mistake.

"I swear to God if you so much as _touch_ her…" Alexander said, before being rudely cut off.

"I'll tear you limb from limb, I've heard that one before. I was going to throw her to some of our Turian mercs. Like hell I'm risking an allergic reaction from a Dextro. It boggles my mind why you're willing to risk it," Bruce laughed, shoving Kairee to the side for a Turian Blue Suns merc to grab her. "My reward for… whatever it was you gave me."

Alexander's right eye twitched, before he swerved his gun arm over to the Turian's direction.

"Risking the mission for a girl?" Bruce taunted, "My, my, for somebody who thinks of me as the foolish one, you've got some pretty bad strategies yourself!"

Alexander was now conflicted. The Angel and Devil were on his shoulders, metaphorically speaking. He turned his gun on Bruce, then back to the Turian, then in between the two, debating with himself what to do.

"Can't decide? I'll make it easier on you," Bruce chuckled, "Daxian, take her out back. Whatever you decide to do with her is fine by me," he added with a dismissive wave of his hand. Daxian dragged Kairee to the back door with little difficulty.

Alexander snarled, ready to attack, but relaxed slightly as he heard the door open.

A gun was pressed against the back of Bruce's head. "I don't quite like that idea, McCarthy," Ashley Williams proclaimed.

"No bloody way…" Bruce murmured, refusing to turn. A few Blue Suns turned and aimed their weapons at Ashley, as John and Kaidan approached.

"Duck," John cautioned with a sly smirk.

"What?" Bruce inquired as the three crouched down. In the distance, Bruce noticed Jack, who was running towards the door like she was insane, which, technically she was. With a victorious roar, she leapt forwards and over the heads of John's squad, causing a contained biotic explosion that swept the mercenaries' off their feet.

"Now!" Ashley bellowed, raising her M55 Argus and opening fire on the Mercenaries. John and Kaidan followed. A good number of them escaped the slaughter and went to find cover.

"Haha! Like fish in a barrel, no?" Kaiden commented, overloading the shields of a Captain.

Alexander slid down the railing and lunged on top of a Blue Suns Commander, flicking his wrist and plunging his blade into the back of the merc's head. He fired off three shots, hitting each target, before sliding in a new thermal clip, putting the pistol away.

"I need more firepower!" Alex shouted. In response, Jack threw him her shotgun and switched to her sidearm. A mercenary tried to rush him, with a Monomolecular CQC knife in hand. Raising his arm sideways, Alex pulled the trigger and shattered his assailant's head.

"The Hell did Bruce go!?" John yelled, looking around as the chaotic firefight continued.

Almost automatically, Ashley twirled around to see Bruce making a mad-dash for the Shuttle. "You're not getting away!" she shrieked, disengaging from the firefight and jumping out of the door.

"Ashley, recover the data!" John demanded.

Jack and Alexander both made eye contact amidst the melee and nodded. Each of them sent a large shockwave in each other's direction, watching with glee as they swept up a group of mercs, then colliding with each other to cause another explosion. "Haha! Fatality!" Alexander jested as he rolled to the side to evade a surprise attack, quick-drawing his pistol and shooting his target in the crotch and then the head in two quick bursts.

Meanwhile, Bruce McCarthy was halfway to the shuttle…

"See you in another two years, Williams!" Bruce taunted, picking up his pace.

Ashley froze in her tracks, knowing she couldn't catch up in time. Instead, she reached back and grasped her M92 Mantis. "Ring out the False, Ring in the true…" Ashley said to herself, lining up a shot. She took a deep breath and held it as the crosshairs met her target's back. She fired a round and smirked as it made contact, causing Bruce to scream in agony as he hit the ground hard. "Alfred Lord Tennyson…" Ashley murmured, reminding herself of who originally said that quote.

Walking over to Bruce, she smiled and knelt down over him. She flipped him over and searched his coat for a datapad with information regarding John's cybernetics. "This is it?" Ashley thought to herself as she scanned his Omnitool. More data on Project Lazarus, including who worked on it, how much it cost, what they were trying to do and why.

Bruce let out a bloody gurgle before snickering smugly, "You have what you want… I know how much you despise Cerberus… take the data for yourself. Give it to the Alliance… Shepard is being controlled, Ashley. They put a control chip in him. He'll just betray you when this is all over!" he tried to say, coughing up a bit of blood. Ashley gave a look of disgust as it dribbled down his cheeks.

"I don't believe you," she replied with a low growl.

"Why should you? I'm just giving you advice… warning you… you don't have to heed the warning, no…" Bruce groaned, turning over and coughing more blood onto the ground.

"Even if it is true, I'm fighting to defeat the Collectors. We'll deal with John if he's really being controlled. Besides, he's got a sister who isn't being manipulated," Ashley reasoned, in an attempt to rationalize what she was being told. Truth be told, she was severely conflicted. She could keep the data and review it later, but there was a chance she'd be allowed to see the data after turning it in to John and the others.

"It's your… choice, Williams…" Bruce replied, attempting a wicked cackle. He would remain his egotistical self until his final demise. He refused to give Ashley the pleasure of her victory.

"And I choose to trust John until somebody confirms your story," Ashley said, standing up and aiming her Sniper Rifle at his face. "Rest in Peace, McCarthy," she said as she pulled the trigger. Turning back towards the Cabin, she placed her sniper back on her back and ran inside. The rest of the mercs were dead. To Ashley's horror, when she turned to her left, she saw Alexander slumped against the wall. John and Kaidan were knelt besides him, applying medigel to his wounds. He was resisting them, trying to stand up.

"Let me go!" he shouted, hissing in pain. His biotics were flaring up in anger.

"You're wounded, calm down and just tell us what happened!" Kaidan responded, pushing Alexander back to the wall.

"They got her, Kairee, they drugged her. Bruce ordered some Turian to get rid of her, she's outside, let me go!" Alexander roared, blasting Kaidan and John backwards with a Nova. He picked himself up and began limping over to the back door. In a rage, he blew it open with a biotic shockwave. The Turian from before had not joined the fight, choosing instead to hide like a coward. Kairee was tied to a support beam, her upper body armor had been torn off recklessly, her sniper rifle's barrel snapped in half. Her bracers were lying on a table to the side, out of reach. This meant she didn't have her hidden blades. The Turian merc was behind said support beam, holding a knife to her throat. "You let me go and she lives!" he said, in an attempt to bargain with Alex.

Kairee had pretty much regained full awareness at this point, but was visibly in pain. A headache from the drugging. Alexander raised his pistol, but couldn't find a way to make a clean shot. Suddenly, as the merc's two fingers loosened their grip on the knife, Kairee raised her foot into the air and slammed it down hard on her captor's own foot, breaking through the shields and armor. A cracking sound was heard as the Turian Blue Suns merc dropped his knife and cursed repeatedly in an unknown Turian dialect.

Alexander sprang into action, using his hidden blades to cut the ropes tying Kairee to the beam. Almost immediately after that, Kairee picked up the dropped knife and flourished it briefly before throwing it down into the mercenary's helmet. "Thanks for the rescue," she said, turning in Alexander's direction.

"Actually, you should thank Ashley for interrupting. Had she not shown up when she did, I'd have just charged in and gotten myself killed," Alexander replied with a laugh. "Are you hurt?"

"No, not really. I feel violated, and I'm totally living out the 'damsel in distress' cliché, but I'm not hurt," Kairee admitted, scratching her mandible nervously, "Let's just get off of this planet."

**Assassin Mission Report: Mission Success**  
_Alliance Traitor Bruce McCarthy, on the run for 2 years, has been killed on Sanves trying to sell data regarding the Lazarus Project to the Blue Suns. The Collectors were mentioned in Bruce's clichéd monologue. His logic was flawed, but further investigation is required to tie the Blue Suns with the Collectors. Better save than sorry. Data returned to Cerberus. Mutual Cooperation benefitted us both, as we were allowed to see non-classified information regarding the resurrection process. Could be useful in the future. Ashley Williams is now focused on the task at hand, having had history with the now deceased Bruce._

**Cerberus Mission Report: Mission Success**  
_Alliance/Cerberus traitor Bruce McCarthy killed on Sanves. Lazarus Project data recovered, Blue Suns mercenaries have been dealt with. Subject Nuovo, aka Alexander Clarke, mentioned that McCarthy spoke of a potential connection between the Collectors and John Shepard. With Bruce out of the way, Ashley William's mind is now cleared and she can focus on the mission._

**Normandy SR2, 2185**  
"John!" Ashley said as she bumped into him on the way to the Armory. "I wanted to thank you for helping me take down Bruce!"

John smiled and shook her hand in a professional manner, "Hey, anything for an old friend, Ash," he replied.

"I'm ready and raring to go for this mission. I think I'm even looking forwards to this Suicide Mission. Not as stressful as you may believe!"

"Good to hear. Oh, and Miranda wanted to see you in her office downstairs. You're not in trouble, she just wants to have a conversation while she has the time," John said, stopping Ashley for a moment longer before walking off.

…

Downstairs, in the Mess Hall, Alexander, Kairee, and a few Crewmen were having a conversation over their meal.

"So you got hit with a biotic throw in the leg?" Crewman Hawthorne inquired, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah. Nothing that bad, though. My shields were up, but it felt like I got kicked by a horse at the time," Alexander confirmed, rubbing his thigh and wincing at the memory.

"Oh that's an exaggeration!" Hawthorne laughed, "If it felt like a kick from a horse, it'd probably be broken!"

"I'll believe that, but I refuse to believe you killed five men in under 30 seconds," Crewman Rolston chided.

"No, I actually did. Maybe in a day or two I'll demonstrate for the whole crew, if you're interested. I'll need training V.I.s though!"

"So, Kairee, how are you? I heard they drugged you at some point. Are you alright?" Crewman Goldstein inquired worriedly.

"Been better. I have this slight headache, though, and I'm still pretty tired," Kairee replied, "smiling" at the Crewman's sympathy.

"And you, Alex?" Goldstein added. She knew that it was no rumour that the two were together.

"I'm perfectly fine besides the leg," Alexander said, placing both hands on the table.

An awkward silence filled the mess hall for a brief moment…

"Alright, I'm a piping hot mess," Alexander finally confessed, running a hand through his hair, "Have you ever experienced something... y'know, actually LIVE IT, and even while you're living it, you just can't explain it? I mean, Heroes coming back from the dead? Collectors? Genetic Memory? Assassins working together with Templars? Hey, I'm just a man whose Ancestors knew how to hold a weapon exceptionally well!" he laughed, shaking his head to show his disinclination towards the mission.

"You really feel that way? I've seen you in action. We're going to give the Collectors true Hell with your help!" Crewman Rolston said in praise.

"Thanks for the compliments, Mr. Rolston, but I'm just lucky to have squeaked in when I did."

"Well, all of the negativity aside, I enjoyed our conversation," Kairee announced, pushing her seat back. Before she got up, however, she leaned to the side and whispered in Alexander's ear. "I'm going to go take a shower, mmkay?"

Alexander turned his seat around the face Kairee as she stood up. "Alright, then," Alex casually replied, patting the armrests.

Kairee gave a sly smirk before turning and walking away. She took a few steps and stopped, moving her upper body around to face Alexander again, "And you're taking one with me," she added. A couple of Crewmen snickered as Alexander blushed slightly.

Alexander clapped his hands together once, looking around the room. "Even better!" he said, dismissing the stares from the other Crew members. He stood and followed after Kairee.

"Hey, take pictures!" Hawthorne called after him. Alexander did not turn or react verbally. He thrust his fist into the air with his hidden blade sprung between his index and ring finger as he walked off.

**((Dirty Jokes lol. That last convo was actually based off of a conversation between Tony Stark and Pepper in Iron Man 3. So this is one of my better chapters, I'm positive of that. I write so much better when I'm not restrained by censors. It's also why this story is T rated.))**

_**((EXTREMELY IMPORTANT RULE REGARDING THE LAST SCENE: I DO REQUESTS IN REVIEWS, BUT I HAVE ONE RULE: NO PORN. NO. NONE OF IT. THAT MEANS NO SHOWER SCENE WITH ALEX AND KAIREE! I'm perfectly fine with intimacy. Maybe brief scenes of extremely softcore stuff, but I'm not writing for perverts, I'm writing for my enjoyment and the entertainment of the more clean-minded. Given, some suggestive content it okay, but Hardcore stuff? Go look somewhere else, please.))**_


	7. Kaidan: High Risk, High Gain

**((A/N: Hey! Sutori-Artifex here! I finally posted another chapter for ME:C! Hey, so I had some questions I wanted to ask you guys... My family knows I write this, right? None of them have played Mass Effect and don't understand anything, yet they read this anyways... I've started to take down some of my censors/barriers and start pushing the limits of the current T rating. I've removed asterisk (*) censors for foul language on some occasions, and I've been writing in more suggestive content between some of the pairings in this story. I feel comfortable without all the restrictions. I *like* that freedom, but my family, is kinda wanting to return to the whole "Platonic-only relationship" and cease to use foul language. They claim that when I write that, it's "a lack of creativity" or that I'll "lose respect from my following (you guys)"... what? You guys don't get offended by what I write down, right?**

**Post a review telling me what you think. Am I good with what I got going on as of this chapter or should I make the story a little more tame? Are you guys offended by foul language/use of suggestive writing? Please do not give me a "it's your story bro do what you want" because that isn't the case this time. I've pulled some family aggro (aggression), and they're recommending that I cut down on the mature content... for a fanfiction about two M rated games...? Give me your HONEST opinion, and above all, enjoy this update of Mass Effect: Creed!))**

* * *

**Mass Effect: Creed**

**Kaidan: High Risk, High Gain**

**Normandy SR2, 2185**

Commander John Shepard sat at his desk, looking over his computer, researching an important topic: "How to remember to feed fish."

Suddenly, he received a ping on his Omnitool. Duty calls. "Yes, Kelly?" John said, before he even read the caller ID.

Kelly's usual, perky voice replied promptly, seeing as how this was becoming a bit of a routine for the both of them. "Kaidan Alenko has requested that you speak with him in Starboard Observation. Something's got him really down lately. I tried to get him to talk to me about it, but he told me it wasn't necessary. I know as a psychologist that brooding over something, then refusing to talk about it is never a good sign. Can you please see what's going on?" she meticulously explained.

"I'll get right on that," John replied, "Thanks, Kelly." He ended the call and spun in his chair. He gazed longingly at the fish tank in his cabin's left wall and sighed. "I will remember to feed you guys…" he muttered to himself, wiping his face with his hands before standing and heading to the elevator.

Down in Starboard Observation, Kaidan was reading over some vintage magazines from the early 1990s, about Pop-Culture at the time. Just as he was getting into an article regarding Michael Jackson, the door opened with an audible hiss. John Shepard stepped through and gave Kaidan a kindly nod, prompting Kaidan to stand and salute. "Sir! I've been meaning to speak with you about some recent events, family related!"

John gave a dismissive wave in response to Kaidan's salute and formal address. "Yes, Kelly told me you were brooding over something. Could we talk about that?" he inquired with a concerned stare.

Kaidan sighed and sat back down. "Yeah, we can. I recently got word about a pretty bad situation regarding my father. He works in the Alliance Military, his age and rank keeps him out of combat, right? Well, he'd been sent to this archaeological dig on Sur'Kesh. Found something real interesting. So interesting that there is currently a hostage situation going on over there. Nobody's doing anything about it and I only just recently got the memo. Frederico and Eleria forwarded it to me from the Citadel Assassins, who in turn received the message from the Sur'Kesh Assassins. If one brave soul went to the Brotherhood, out of any other faction, to sound the alarm, I think we have Templars holding my father for questioning over a **ground-shattering discovery. **Could we ehh… check that out? Knock some heads and get my father back?" he explained thoroughly.

John sat and processed this information. Sounds like the situation's pretty nasty if nobody on Sur'Kesh (Law Enforcement, or Spectres) are doing anything about it or making it a public event. Real Hush-Hush. "If it will prove that I'm loyal to my team rather than Cerberus, then of course I can spare some time, Kaidan," he replied with a warm, friendly smile.

"Thanks, Shepard. So since the Templars are messin' with us down on Sur'kesh, I take it we're bringing Alex and Kairee to the fight? Somebody else?" Kaidan asked, slightly suggesting that those two be in the squad.

"Alexander's in the Animus as we speak. Miranda told us that they could 'procrastinate no longer' with that thing… Kairee received word from her mother, asking her to head to Palaven. Something about 'apologizing' for their bad past. Their both out right now," John replied with a small shrug.

Kaidan nodded his head and stroked his bare chin thoughtfully for a moment. "How about we fight like we did in the old days? We've got Garrus, we got Tali, we got Wrex, Ashley, Jane, and we're here, so why not?" the L2 offered.

This was a tempting offer, especially since Wrex was probably dying for some real action right about now. While they were missing Liara, everybody else was present and accounted for, and this mission was in Kaidan's honor, so the question wasn't exactly "why," rather it was "why not," and John agreed perfectly with his old friend.

"Joker! Set a course for Sur'Kesh, and send for the Original Squad, please," John ordered, looking up at the ceiling. After a few seconds of silence, the Helmsman's reply sounded out loud and clear through the Observation Deck.

"Will do, Commander. Do you need anybody or anything else?" Joker asked, hand hovering over the intercom button for the rest of the Crew-Deck.

"That'll be all, Joker, but tell Mordin that we're going to Sur'Kesh if he wants to take some shore leave. Also… have Zaeed and Jacob restrain Grunt!"

"Aye, Aye, Commander!"

With that out of the way, Kaidan took one final look at the Michael Jackson article and tossed the magazine aside. He eagerly exited the Observation Deck, with John Shepard close in tow, ready and raring to go for some action!

The two went to the Mess Hall to pick up Ashley, who was chatting with Thane and Garrus about some topic. Kaidan gave her one look and immediately she knew that it was Go-Time. Grabbing Garrus' arm, Ashley stood up and brought him along without another word. Meanwhile, Thane sat and blinked as he processed the awkwardly silent exchange.

They stepped onto the elevator to find Tali'Zorah standing in the middle of it. She didn't seem to mind everybody getting onto the elevator as the door closed and sent them up to the CIC Deck, where they departed and head straight to the Armory. Wrex got Joker's message and was perusing the vast selection of Shotguns. He settled on a M300 Claymore, picking it up and resting it on his shoulder before turning and smirking at John and his group. The team went separate ways to find weapons suitable to them, Jane Shepard entering the room five minute later.

John Shepard went with an M96 Mattock-Auto, what Alexander affectionately dubbed "The Auto-Mattock Assault Rifle" and an M27-Scimitar.

Jane Shepard chose her signature N7 Hurricanes, dual-wielded.

Garrus picked up an M29 Incisor and a Phaeston.

Kaidan used his biotics and lifted an M15 Vindicator and M77 Paladin to him, setting them on the Workbench and modding them at a leisurely pace.

Ashley reclaimed her M55 Argus and M92 Mantis, twirling the M55 in her hand and setting it on her back. The M55 collapsed partially and locked onto her armor.

Tali settled on an M22 Eviscerator shotgun and an M6 Carnifex for their firepower. She joined Kaidan in modding the weaponry to her preferences.

Once everything was sorted out, the squad head down to the Cargo Bay to wait for the A-Okay to board the shuttle. Even though that this was the same team that helped put an end to Saren Arterius' treachery, something felt wrong. John, Jane, Ashley, and Kaidan kept up a silent gaze at each other, occasionally veering their heads over to face Tali and Garrus, then back at each other. Ashley bit her lip and sighed. She would be first to speak. "So, you and Tali… John."

John raised a brow and looked over at the Quarian Machinist. "Yes?" he asked Ashley.

"It's fine that you two have your thing. I know that we've… put everything behind us after my little outburst when you picked me up off Horizon, and I know exactly what you see in Tali. She's like a little sister to me. It's cool, but… I really don't want to hurt our friendship. Are _we_ cool, Skipper?" Ashley replied, fiddling nervously in place as she used her nickname for John.

John gave her a warm smile and a bold nod of the head. "Of course we're cool, Ash, and I'd hate for our friendship to go sour as well," he responded as he gave his ex-girlfriend a hearty handshake in agreement.

Kaidan narrowed his eyes at Garrus for a minute before directing his half-glare to Jane Shepard. "So… you and Garrus?" he asked with a short shrug.

"Why not?" Jane replied, wandering over to the Turian and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Wait, you 'broke up'… and now the Shepards are now dating the dextros? How come nobody told me this earlier?!" Wrex exclaimed, dumbfounded at this revelation. All eyes were on him and he immediately figured it out: sensitive topic. This was just now being fully laid to rest. Wrex calmed down and chortled lightly to himself, pleasantly surprised to see that even the Shepards' lives were subject to change such as this.

John gave a low chuckle and turned his head to eye Garrus up and down. "Don't think that because you're my best friend that you're getting out of 'That Talk'," he warned with a sly smirk. That Talk consisted of the usual "Hurt my Sister and I'll kill you" banter, and it was the same talk he had given to Kaidan two years ago when he first picked up the signs that Kaidan and Jane were sweet on each other. He turned back to Kaidan and glared at him coldly. "The only reasons I haven't mounted your head up in my Cabin were, One: I was dead for Two Years, and I couldn't exactly become a Poltergeist if you catch my drift, and Two: I heard that Jane and Alex already kicked your ass on Horizon enough for me to have mercy."

Kaidan sighed awkwardly and rubbed the back on his neck, chills running down his spine. "Yeaaah… the '99 Problems' line was so cheesy, but so painful at the same time…" he replied with a small laugh.

Ashley's lips curled into a sly grin and she bobbed her head. "Well look on the bright side. Now he **does** have 100 problems and a, censoring the actual lyric… "chick"(?) is one of them."

Garrus shook his head. "I don't know about that relationship being a _problem_ per-se, because last I checked, they went from 'step one to step five' (or so I heard) in weeks, passing all of the Xenobiological differences with little difficulty… even MORDIN was impressed at their progress. Damn, gotta give it to them, they know _exactly_ what their doing," he explained, to Kaidan's chagrin.

"Uh, 'step one to step five'?" Tali inquired curiously.

"Commander, we have arrived over Sur'Kesh. You may now board the Shuttle," EDI's synthetic voice called, reverberating throughout the Cargo Bay.

That was their cue. They all filed into the Shuttle and took their seats as it flew out and away from the Normandy, headed towards Sur'Kesh's surface. The ride went rather smoothly, no complaints, no further conversation between any Party-Members aside from "You Ready?" banter.

* * *

**Tez'akim Archaeological Digsite, Sur'Kesh, 2185**

EDI's voice called from the Normandy, speaking through the Shuttle. "The Tez'akim Archaeological Site is close by. Area scans show that Hostile Forces have posted SAM Infantry armed with unusually modified M920 Cains in various locations in and around the digsite. Recommend extreme caution be taken when landing the shuttle," she cautioned, before going silent again.

"Any ideas for dealing with them? I was just about to say… nothing we haven't seen before, but umm… apparently they're packing Nuke-Guns and it's likely those "modifications" are targeting mechanisms. Using the shuttle or the Normandy for Air-Support is a horrible idea," Ashley asked, checking her M55-Argus.

"Well, this shuttle's in Cerberus Colors. Last I checked, Cerberus is the Templar's public face. I'm fairly certain that we could just land and talk this out," Jane Shepard suggested, putting her SMGs away. "Not that I'm not ready for combat should it be the only option."

"Not the smartest idea. This digsite's been on lockdown for at least half a week from the information I was given. Whatever's here, they must be **dying** for it, and are even more obviously ready to **kill** for it. I've no doubt in my mind that the farthest they're letting us go is a five-minute chat with dad," said Kaidan, his biotics flaring up in reaction to his irritation. Tali patted his shoulder consolingly with a free hand and then grabbed a handlebar on the shuttle-ceiling for support as the shuttle began a steep descent.

"Attention, any and all activity on this site is none of your concern. This is authorized by Dalatrass Telore, speak with her if you have any questions about our activity. If you're here to supplement our security force, please relay your access code," a menacing, although fast-paced voice announced. Presumably, Ground-Control was trying to determine if they should obliterate or spare the shuttle and everyone inside it.

"EDI?" John requested, eagerly awaiting EDI's access hack.

Meanwhile, at Ground-Control, a Salarian with a grim, harsh expression on a face riddled with deep scars, stood over a human male who was monitoring arrivals to the digsite. "Did they send the code?" he inquired.

The human stood up and saluted the Salarian before responding. "It's an older code, sir, but it checks out."

"An older code? Must have been late. Relay traffic from the Citadel's been tough, lately," the Salarian said with a mild shrug, "So carry on, let them land, but I want to speak to their leader personally."

The Normandy-Shuttle landed a foot above the ground and the doors opened to allow John and his team to pour out of the sides, all meeting up on the left side, weapons readied just in case. The Salarian came running out of the makeshift bunker to greet them.

"I'm Salas Leseon. I wasn't aware that Cerberus had sent reinforcements," the Salarian introduced himself, nodding curtly at John and co.

Kaidan immediately stepped forwards and glared at Salas. "We're here for Captain Alenko," he said, doing everything in his power to restrain his anger.

As Salas reached for his pistol, John Shepard stepped up to the plate. "Transfer. We're taking him and whatever you found here to the Cerberus headquarters for safeguarding," he clarified in an attempt to keep the peace a moment longer.

Salas smirked at John. "Templar Agents eh? Well. We haven't actually _found_ the artifact yet. We're looking for it, wherever Captain Alenko had it hidden when we got here. Also, if you have clearance to bring Alliance personnel to the Cerberus HQ… what is the HQ even called…?" he inquired, narrowing his eyes and widening his smirk, victoriously.

John stood there, looking both ways, unable to answer. "EDI?" he mumbled.

"That information is _heavily_ classified," she replied through the comms in his helmet.

John resigned, raising a fist to his mouth and coughing. "Sic semper tyrannus" he murmured under the guise of a rough throat and bad cough.

Salas drew his pistol and fired at John's head, striking the shields hard and staggering the Commander. "You son of a…!" he said, drawing his "Auto-Mattock" and unloading hell on Salas. The noise of the gunfire drew attention from Templars all around, who immediately stopped whatever it was they were doing, whether it was executing resisting workers or patrolling the digsite, and broke into a crazy-charge at the team.

"Get to cover!" Garrus ordered, aiming down the scope on his Phaeston and spread-firing at a small squad that had left the bunker that Salas had come from. Throwing a grenade, he cleared out resistance at the door and ran to it.

Tali'Zorah instinctively deployed a combat drone and assisted John in killing Salas. A blast from her Eviscerator effectively EVISCERATED **(huehuehuebadjoke)** Salas' head, breaking through his shields and ending his life. "Chiktikka, hold them off!" she commanded her drone as she switched to her Carnifex for ammo purposes.

"Firing a Carnage blast!" Urdnot Wrex roared before lifting his shotgun up and firing a missile-like device at an Asari Vanguard. It looked like red, miniature comet, and exploded with great force, knocking the Vanguard off of her feet as Wrex executed her by hammering his shotgun down on her back. He turned and sent a biotic shockwave in the direction of a small group of human soldiers. They flew back and were suspended mid-air for Ashley Williams to pick off with her Mantis sniper-rifle.

"C'mon!" Garrus cried, waving his hand through the open bunker door. The squad all went in his direction and was ushered inside. Garrus fired a single 3-round burst from his Incisor and slammed the door shut. Jane Shepard kicked down the door leading into the Ground-Control room, which was constructed rather recklessly out of makeshift materials. This was an occupation of a _digsite_ not a full-blown military base. Not everything was **so** advanced. She drew both of her N7 Hurricanes and aimed them at the unarmed Templars at the monitors and other instruments.

"Hands in the air, we're taking this place back!" she cried, pointing one Hurricane up to the ceiling and firing wanton to frighten the Templars to submit. "Search the place for anything regarding Kaidan's father," she ordered.

Kaidan Alenko wandered over to one especially frightened Templar and gripped him by he collar of his uniform. He was a human, couldn't have been more than 21 years of age. Kaidan rammed him against the wall and sneered. "Where are they holding him!?" he questioned, droplets of spit escaping and hitting the man on the forehead.

"I don't know!" he barked defiantly. This instigated a reaction from Kaidan, who pulled him back briefly and shoved him back against the wall, harder this time.

"Strike One!" he replied. John Shepard's hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"Kaidan, stop this, now," he ordered calmly.

The man pressed against the wall started blubbering about something. Kaidan stared into his eyes with a cold, soul-piercing gaze… "He's in the Site Director's Office! I heard some of my superiors talking about an 'Alenko' in the Director's Office, being questioned for something! My rank is too low for them to discuss it with me so I didn't ask! Please, that's all I know I swear!" he panicked, holding his hands up to his face.

"That's all we needed to know," Kaidan coolly replied.

"Are you going to kill me?" the man asked weakly, his voice croaking slightly.

"No," Kaidan answered as he slammed his head into the man, knocking him out cold, before releasing him onto the floor.

"That was rather brutal," Garrus commented, lifting his Phaeston to his shoulder.

"And you were any different with Harkin?" Jane inquired, leering confidently.

Garrus' eyes narrowed and his mandibles twitched lightly… "Touché…"

Urdnot Wrex sifted through some files carelessly left on a cabinet-top and bobbed his head in acceptance of the data recovered. "He was right about Kaidan's father being in the Director's Office. Location's right here on this Datapad!" he said, chucking the pad in Tali's direction. She caught it perfectly and began tinkering with it via Omnitool.

"Sorry, it's in Keelish. Minority language. Perfect for classified files unless you're Quarian, speak Keelish, a codebreaker, or have your translator set to this dialect," she elucidated as she translated the datapad's contents and handed it delicately to John.

The Commander read it over before setting it down on a desk and gesturing for the team to "huddle-up". Jane still kept a watchful eye on the Templars cowering under the desks. "Alright. We're going to split into two teams. I'll take Tali and Kaidan to find his father. Jane, take Garrus, Ashley, and Wrex and **_buy us time!_**" he explained, lowering his voice to a hushed whisper. "No doubt that the other guards are just **waiting** for us to walk out of the bunker. They know we're here, but they're also smart enough to know that it wouldn't be shooting fish in a barrel when it comes to us. Run out first and offer a diversion so that we can recover any hostages and retrieve the artifact!"

The team separated and John threw a fist in the air. "Team Mako!" he cried.

Silence.

"You couldn't drive that damn thing if a Thesher Maw was tailing us merely a foot away… oh wait, that one time… I remember… **THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED**," Ashley snidely quipped, shivering at the memory of the Shepards' notoriously bad driving that seemed almost genetic.

"Well, come on, it's _decent_… we can't exactly say 'Team Normandy' because of all the others. I think Mako is pretty good!" Tali replied, rubbing John's shoulder affectionately.

"You _would_ stick up for him," Ashley replied. Catfight in 3…2…

"**It doesn't matter what we call the original team, people!"** Garrus interjected, firing a burst from his Incisor into the ceiling, provoking a squeak of mortal terror from the squad's pseudo-hostages.

Kaidan nodded and gave a silent signal for Wrex to lead the charge, what every Krogan does best.

"FOR TEAM MAKO!" Wrex roared, rushing up the stairs at flame-enkindling speeds to smash open the door and send off biotic shockwaves at the guards that were predictably posted at the sides of the door. Jane, Ashley, and Garrus rolled their eyes as they followed the Krogan Battlemaster.

"See? Team Mako's a good name!" John said in Kaidan's direction.

"Let's just get my dad… and go home."

The way to the Director's Office was **pure hell**. Regardless of the Diversion-Team doing their job well, the S&R team was still encountering resistance. For five minutes, John and company had been exchanging fire with more elite Templar agents of "Dalatrass" Telore. Fast, accurate, and cunning Salarians with the skills and tools of STG (Salarian Tasks Group).

Kaidan fired a volley of 5-Round bursts from behind some excavation equipment and successfully killed a single agent, before his place was filled by lesser reinforcements.

Tali'Zorah and her combat drone, "Chiktikka vas Paus" were busy having a 2v2 with a Salarian Engineer with his own combat drone. Each drone took turns zapping each other while Tali would search for moments of weakness to fire rounds from her Carnifex, all the while trying to **not** get shot by the engineer.

"Shepard!" Kaidan cries out, pointing in the distance at a burly Krogan Templar with what appears to be an M920 Cain… and it was charging. John got the memo and free-ran up and off of a safety fence, biotic-charging straight towards the Krogan. As the Cain was a second from finishing it's initial charge, John engaged his hidden blade mid-charge and rammed it straight into the throat of the Krogan. The biotic amplifier, electrical charge, and the force of the charge and stab, penetrated every layer of defense that the Krogan had: Shields, armor, and tough skin. In shock, he dropped the Cain, firing it into the distance and causing it to detonate on another makeshift bunker, collapsing it. John swept the Krogan off of his feet and pinned him to the ground, stealing his thermal clips and recovering the Cain for later use, replacing the "heavy-weapon charge" with one of his own. He felt his strength return to him and he charged again to get back into the fray, interrupting a Templar "Striker" mid-attack as he tried to stealthily execute Kaidan from behind. As the Striker went flying, a bullet from Tali's Carnifex killed him as he cart-wheeled through the air.

"Nice shot," John remarked almost flirtatiously.

"Nice charge," Tali replied in a similar manner as bullets whizzed by their heads.

Kaidan rolled his eyes and threw a grenade from over cover. "You guys pick the absolute worst times to flirt, you know that?"

"Don't be jealous," Tali quipped, patting him on the back as she ducked into cover next to him. She had apparently won the fight with the Salarian engineer and his drone.

"You're good with that drone, Tali," Kaidan said as he used an overload on a hostile's shields.

"Yeah, Chiktikka won this time. I think it's time that her software leveled up a little bit, y'know?" she commented, "She's got enough experience with all of her old abilities already."

John peers over cover and scans the area for any buildings of interest. A small one, not exactly a cabin, boy, the redundancy of cabins when they had just dealt with Ashley's issues in a cabin in the woods… A small building of Salarian architectural design stood nearby a _deep_ excavation pit. Some text in Salarian was written on a wall, but John didn't understand a word of it. "Hey, that's **got** to be the Director's Office, right?" he asked, ducking back down.

Kaidan looked up and then crouched down within seconds and shrugged. "Looks like it. The rest of the bunkers are of the same design but were much smaller… I'm going to say that we're looking at our destination," he said.

Resistance had died down, and the Salarian Templars were in retreat. This was a golden opportunity. All three of them rolled over cover and traversed the digsite, occasionally pausing to fire and duck back into some form of conviently placed cover. The final, most intense firefight awaited them at the bridge across the excavation pit.

A few Turians and their Asari allies were waiting on the bridge when they all arrived, guns, tech, and biotics at the ready. John, Kaidan, and Tali stopped at the edge of the bridge and looked out across it, at the Templar soldiers guarding the entrance to the office building. "I'm going to give all of you one chance. Surrender and we will not kill you. We seek only Captain Alenko!" John shouted from his side of the bridge.

That did it. One soldier launched a missile in their direction, scattering the squad. Much to everyone's surprise, fire was returned, but not by anybody on the S&R team. Three bullets fired in rapid succession, two shattering the kinetic barriers of the Rocket Trooper, and the third hitting him dead-center in the forehead, killing him in a mercifully quick time.

Garrus Vakarian lowered his sniper rifle, mandibles positioned in such a way that his facial expression was tantamount to a wide, victorious grin better shown on Humans and Asari. "Scoped and dropped."

John Shepard saw this as the right moment to take action. He got up and sprinted across the bridge to get a clear shot at a Biotic Charge. Tali and Kaidan followed after him.

"Blow the bridge! Nobody gets the Captain, nobody finds the Artifact but us! We **_will_** have dominance once again! **FOR THE ORDER!**" an Asari commando barked as her subordinate tinkered with her Omnitool. Several charges of explosive material detonated under the bridge, collapsing the top as Shepard was running across it. Tali was knocked off balance, falling forwards with a shrill scream. Thank the Powers-That-Be, Kaidan lunged forwards and caught her by the ankle. John was not so lucky as he just barely managed to grab the ledge on the other side of the now destroyed bridge. He held on for dear life, for when he looked down, the excavation pit was surely deep enough to kill him if he were to release the ledge!

Meanwhile, all this did to the rest of the team was enrage them. Garrus bellowed in fury and rolled forwards, recovering in a kneeling position. He started letting bullets fly from his Incisor to give the Templars something to take cover from.

"Jane, brace yourself!" Wrex called out. Jane looked back to see Wrex preparing a shockwave in her direction. "Use your own biotics, try to ride the wave. Get to the other side and save your brother!" he added as he let loose the biotic shockwave. It struck Jane with surprising force, although Jane did as told and held her balance, using her biotics to boost her forwards. She _only just _managed to land on her feet and fortunately didn't cause John to fall to his second death. As Ashley and Garrus gave the Templars hell, Jane turned around and offered a hand to John, who, needless to say, accepted and was lifted to safety.

"Thanks, sis," he casually said, patting her on the shoulder. He rolled his neck and pulled out his M27 Scimitar, the automatic shotgun. He threw a biotic-lift and yanked a few Templars out of cover and sent them haplessly floating through the air to be picked off by Garrus' sniper rifle. Jane Shepard generated her Tech Armor and threw a biotic warp, disintegrating yet another hostile. It was at this point that John leapt off the bridge and biotic-charged into the Asari Commando who ordered the bridge demolition.

The fight was bloody but brief…

Inside the Director's Office, a lone figure sat isolated at one of the desks, a thick cloth over his eyes. His face was covered in blood and his arms were bound with metal around the chair on which he was sitting. For the first time in days, he had the audacity to smile. "Sounds like somebody noticed that we were in trouble, eh?" he snickered.

A Salarian in camoflage-colored armor stepped out from the shadows and backhanded the human. "I'm aware that somebody's here and fighting off my men you idiot. But none of this had to happen. You could have just told us where the Artifact was and you could have left this place without complication!"

The human looked up and spat in the space between the Salarian's eyes. "No. You've no right to come here, hold innocents hostage and then demand something we found despite a lack of knowledge of if it even **has any significance**!" he replied. "The Alliance will have your head for this!"

"What is the _Alliance_ even _doing_ here in the _first damned place?!_" the Salarian asked, wiping the spit away.

"I'll tell you _that _much. Joint-program. We wanted to show our Salarian allies that we were willing to work together to discover more about each other's pasts. As we speak there are several dozen Salarians on Earth right now, working in excavation sites in Greece, Italy, and Egypt."

"And that explains the human presence here. But how the hell did you find a Piece of Eden?!"

"A Piece of what?"

"Classified. Little silver orb, bunch'a ridges and crevices carved into it… runes of some sort. They glow with a golden light. Ring a bell?"

The human shook his head. "Yeah, I found something like that. I'm not telling you where we keep the objects of interest that we find!"

The Salarian pulled a CQC knife from his boot and pressed it to the human's neck. "You will cooperate or…" he tried to say, before the door behind him opened with a sickening hiss. Time was up.

The barrel of an M77 Paladin was pressed against the back of his head. "Name, faction, purpose for holding this site up?" Kaidan Alenko asked.

The Salarian cursed under his breath and turned, hands in the air, dropping the knife. "Salasi Risolor. Order of the Knights Templar. Finding an artifact uncovered here. I take it you are an Assassin?"

Kaidan shook his head with a smirk. "Nah, but I work with some," he said, pistol-whipping Salasi in the jaw before pushing back for Wrex to grab and restrain. "Father!" he cried as he broke the chains binding his father. He removed the blindfold and helped his father to stand.

"Kaidan is that you?" the much older man asked, holding his head as his eyes adjusted to the light. Kaidan threw his arms around his father upon seeing his father react to the revelation that his own son had come to save him.

"We've come to get you out of here," John Shepard said, stepping up to Kaidan's father. "Commander John Shepard, nice to meet you Mr. Alenko. Your son has been a huge help in my team since our adventures began," he introduced himself with a little laugh.

"Captain Franklin Alenko, Alliance Navy. I'd like to thank you and your friends for coming here to get us. I won't ask about how you found out that we were in our situation… like I can't ask about the whole 'Templar' issue here. Is there anything that you need?"

Jane Shepard looked both ways before speaking. "First of all, knock him out, Wrex," she said, and sure enough, Wrex would proceed to slam the Salarian's head into the wall. Not **too** hard, but enough to swiftly put him to "sleep". Jane cleared her throat before she spoke again. "Also there was mention of an Artifact? We'd like to see it. Don't worry, we have no plans to harm anybody innocent, in fact I'm prepared to pay you for it!"

Captain Alenko narrowed his eyes and looked to his son. "Can I trust these people?" he questioned Kaidan.

Kaidan blinked placidly a few times before giving his father a response. "With your life, father. You can trust them with your life," he affirmed.

At this, Franklin Alenko began pacing, trying to remember the previous location of the Artifact in question. "I was down in the excavation pit out front when we found a small vault. The architecture was remarkably advanced for its age and was similar to ruins found on EARTH. We busted through an active shield by using some tech powers to shatter it, then moved in and recovered an artifact. The first Salarian to touch it… the artifact… the orb glowed, some light burst from it, and the Salarian just dropped _dead_. The medical-examiner stated that his brain had literally 'exploded'. Parts of it were dislodged, other sections seemed to have been effectively overloaded. With such a dangerous device, I had people remove it from the vault by using biotics to lift it and encase it in a safe. Only I have the code, and I didn't put it on my very hackable Omnitool," Franklin rambled on, stopping to rummage through some cabinets containing datapads. He pulled out a Post-It-note with text written in English. Numerals spelled out in word-form. "Here's the safe-combination. The safe itself is downstairs. We covered the door with a desk. It's over there. Take that _thing_ and keep it safe!"

Ashley Williams wandered to the desk and gently pushed it to the side to reveal a primitive, manually opened "trap-door". Lifting it open, she crawled down into the temporary archives, where antique objects of Salarian and… questionable origin lay either covered up, placed in glass tanks, or laid on pedestals. She could have sworn she heard an incessant ringing in her ears that intensified as she neared a metal safe. "Hey guys, I think this is it!" she shouted, lightly kicking the safe.

John Shepard hopped down, followed by Tali and Kaidan. Jane, Garrus, and Wrex stayed upstairs to both call for evac and speak with Franklin Alenko further. John took the combination and used his Omnitool to punch it in. The door swung open suddenly, taking the four by surprise. Inside sat an _orb_. It was made of a tought, silver-colored metal. All across it, crevices and runes were engraved into it, all of which glowed with a dim golden light. Tali was immediately awestruck and reached out to touch it, mesmerized like a deer caught in the headlights.

Immediately her hand was swatted away by Ashley. "You heard Kaidan's dad. Salarian was literally mind-blown by this thing!" she reminded the young Quarian. Meanwhile John had already reached out for it and held it in his hands, even recklessly tossing it up a few inches in the air and catching it like a baseball. Ashley looked back at her Ex and stared at him in disbelief.

"What? Oh, this? Yeah, I'm chalking it up to 'Cerberus Implants keeping me alive'," he chuckled.

"Whatever. Let's just get off of this planet…" Kaidan remarked.

The Shuttle was here. Mission accomplished.

* * *

**Assassin Mission Report: Mission Success**

_Upon traveling to Sur'Kesh we encountered _actual_ Templar forces lead by **Salas Leseon** and **Salasi Risolor**, the latter I believe is closely related to Solon Risolor, an Assassin in the Sur'Kesh chapter. Leseon was one of the first killed when combat started. Kill Confirmed. The Tez'akim Archaeological digsite had been locked in a hostage situation that was, thankfully, ended once we cleared the place of Templar soldiers. Risolor was captured and is en-route to the Sur'Kesh Assassin Bureau for questioning. A _**PIECE OF EDEN**_ was discovered on the site and is **now in our care!** Alliance Navy Captain Franklin Alenko was part of an Alliance joint-program with the Salarians here on Sur'Kesh. His team actually discovered a First-Civilization vault here. This is a shocking new development: the Precursors may have had an interstellar civilization, and it stretches into modern Council-Space. Speaking of the Alenkos, Franklin's son, Kaidan Alenko, is a member of the Ground-Squad here on the Normandy. With his father freed from the Templars and possible Mercenary allies, he is now focused entirely on the mission at hand._

_Credit Loss: 100,000 credits in exchange for the Piece of Eden._

**Cerberus Mission Report: Mission Success**

_Alliance Navy Captain Franklin Alenko has been "rescued" from fellow Templar forces on the planet of Sur'Kesh after a failed attempt to recover an Apple of Eden from the Tez'akim digsite. We are now in possession of the Apple, however John Shepard has declared it "flagged as neutral" for the duration of the mission. Neither Assassin nor Cerberus is permitted to take it from the ship. We are allowed to conduct research, as this Piece of Eden did **not** originate on Earth. Franklin Alenko is Kaidan Alenko's father. Rescuing him has cleared Kaidan's head of any distractions and he is now ready for the Collector Mission._

* * *

**[LOCATION REDACTED], Palaven, 2185**

**(Chapter Epilogue)**

Kairee Antar parked her rented Skycar at the designated meeting place. The journey to Palaven had been rather arduous, and Kairee found herself suffering from mild "jet-lag". With a sigh, she shut the engine off and stepped out. She leaned against the closed door and waited. Seconds ticked by, passing into minutes.

"Ugh… ten minutes late. Figures," she said with a scoff, her mandibles twitching in frustration. As she said this, another Skycar was seen landing close by.

Kairee's eyes widened when she saw who had stepped out of the car. A female Turian draped in white and blue robes that covered her body from neck to ankle. She had bright green Clan-Markings on her forehead, that stretched in an upside-down "U" shape down the sides of her head, stopping at the bottom of her mandibles. Kairee indeed recognized this woman as her mother, impressive seeing as how she'd changed so much in the many years that they'd been separate from each other.

Coracia Antar stood before her daughter, her flesh and blood, with a rather dignified, emotionless stare. Kairee didn't want to start off on the wrong foot via bad question, so she bit her tongue before the question could escape her mouth. Coracia was… not the slimmest of Turians. Kairee wasn't sure if it was stress-eating (loss of husband and disownment of daughter) or lack of exercise. She assumed the latter and that Coracia currently held a non-combative position in the Turian Military. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Mom?" she asked, inching closer ever so slowly.

Coracia's emotionless face actually cracked a smile as she laid eyes on her "ex-daughter". "Kairee."

Kairee let out a little laugh in joy, on the verge of tears. "You wanted to speak with me? Personally?"

Coracia nodded. "Yes, Kairee. I do. It's come to my attention that you've been making a living on killing people," she stated bluntly, "Your kill-count is amazing. Your father would be proud of you… sadly those kills weren't made while in our glorious military…"

Kairee shuffled uncomfortably in place. "Yeeaaahhh… I figured that would get back to you," she mumbled.

"It's fine by me, but I want to talk about **you**. How has life been treating you?" she asked her daughter.

"It's been… amazing! I've made many new friends, learned new talents, done many amazing things and helped a great amount of people less fortunate than I. I've… even found myself a… boyfriend," Kairee replied, blushing at the memory of Alexander.

Coracia's eyes widened in shock. She clasped her hands together and nodded earnestly at Kairee. "Have you now? What's his Clan?"

Kairee's face turned even more blue than it already was as she **froze** in place at the question. "Well… uh, he doesn't have a clan…"

"Bareface? Does he not have a Clan… Or… Oh, Spirits, honey, he's from the Hierarchy? The pure-bloods of Palaven!?" Coracia replied, feeling fairly embarassed for some reason.

"No… neither. He doesn't have markings because… he's a… umm, how do I put this…?"

Coracia lifted a brow at her stuttering daughter. "I'm listening," she replied snidely.

"He's a human," Kairee blurted out, rubbing her hands together anxiously.

Coracia smirked and shook her head, partly from relief, partly from shame. "Ah. I was worried that you went and got a mate already," she commented.

"Mom, I **do** have a 'mate'. Alexander Clarke. He may be human, but he's an amazing person. If you'd just **LET GO** of the past then maybe you could see it!" Kairee spat.

"I apologize if that came out wrong. What I meant to add, was that a _very_ handsome Turian came to me a few days ago and asked for _your_ hand in marriage. To decline would have been insanity. He's **Executor** Orentos _Arion_!" Coracia said.

Kairee's heart skipped a beat. Executor Orentos Arion was allegedly a Templar Grand-Master.

"You _betrothed _me!?" Kairee shouted, shoving her mother back.

"It's for your own good, sweet-heart. His rank will bring you great honor. You will be placed on a tier higher than _mine_ in the Hierarchy. You will have earned your mother's love once more…" Coracia replied, this time her voice sounded much sweeter than earlier.

"I know who he is! You're marrying me off to some man 10 years older than me, who **I don't even KNOW**, when I'm already in a relationship!"

"That human likely has some kind of sick fetish, darling. All _humans _stick with humans. I'm certain he doesn't truly care about _you_. Executor Arion is 'taken by your beauty. [He] wishes to make you [his]," the older Turian hissed.

"MOTHER!" Kairee boomed. "I'm **DONE** here. Tell Executor Arion that he can drown in a pool of cyanide for all I care, because I am NOT marrying him any time so-WAH!?" she shouted, turning back to her Skycar. As she stepped towards it, she felt herself lurch forwards, letting out a helpless squeak when she felt her feet leave the ground. She was being suspended in the air with biotics of some sort. She looked around frantically to find whoever was holding her against her will. Her search ended quickly as her eyes locked onto an Asari in black and white armor, holding her arm to the sky while the blue mist of biotics swirled around her hand.

"Grand-Master Arion isn't fond of swimming, and cyanide tastes rather bitter to him, besides. Also, you **are** going to marry him. It'll be a great honor, Ms. Antar. 'Mother Knows Best' am I right?" the Asari quipped, violently shaking Kairee around in the air before Coracia nudged her in the arm. "Fine. Just know that your daughter killed my father, and while I'd absolutely _love_ to slowly skin her alive, plate by plate… I'll restrain myself as long as we reach our goal," she growled.

"Who are you, and who is your father!?" Kairee asked, trying to right herself midair. She brought no weapons, expecting a tearful reunion with "dear old mom"… all she could do was float helplessly in the air… it infuriated her.

"Lilis Nyxanni. And my father… you should know him… Tonen Lithos?" the Asari replied. Suddenly it hit Kairee hard like a wrecking ball. Tonen Lithos was the name of a corrupt politician on the Turian colony of Oma Ker. When Kairee was much younger, she was in the Turian Military, deployed on Oma Ker. She had unwittingly participated in the assassination of Tonen Lithos, her first run-in with the Assassin Brotherhood, and turning point of her entire life.

"I… I didn't realize… it was all an accident, I didn't even know that they were planning to kill him!" Kairee apologized. Lilis rolled her eyes and used her biotics to constrict her throat, silencing her.

"Shut the hell up, Antar. You helped them kill my father, and now I won't rest until every assassin in the Galaxy is reduced to a gorey, stringy stain on the sole of my **boot.**"

Coracia tapped Lilis' shoulder. "So, when's the wedding again?"

Lilis smirked victoriously. "Grand-Master Arion said he received an update. We lost something special on Sur'Kesh. If the Assassins are willing to cough it up within three days' time, he'll break the wedding off. If not… say hello to the new Mrs. Orentos Arion."

* * *

_**((I should also note: if anybody wants some minor spoilers about future plans for any Pieces of Eden, or if anybody wants to give me some ideas for what to write, PM me with the subject "Requesting Spoiler" or "Wanting to Help".))**_


End file.
